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Topic: 2320 Hard Sci-fi (Read 25002 times)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...... The sol system is the cradle of humanity and new home of the Terran Compact, the treaty organization encompassing the core systems of human expansion. Earth of 2320 enjoys the fruits of the heavy handed leadership of the past century. After the last of the world wars a century ago, the young nations of the west came to dominate the world with strong military and economic powers. This New Imperialism sparked the first exodus with the birth of the MAW Drive. Earth and the Sol system today are radically different from the "Broken Earth" of the past. The wars which once ravaged her continents and threatened to wipe her clean of humanity have moved to the cold reaches of space and alien worlds. This new "Mended EarthÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, as the propaganda of the TC puts it, is free of the violence and oppression of her forbearers. Some claim that this new peace comes at too heavy a cost. In the Early days of the first Exodus, the TC used a form of Gulag, to banish potential dissidents to the newly discovered worlds of the frontier. There on alien soil, the banished built new homes and communities, this over time prospered into nations great enough to rival the sovereign nations of the broken earth. Left to their own devices these new sovereign worlds have come to hate those who now control the birthplace of their ancestors, and even today the embers of ancient aggressions, all but forgotten on the peaceful soil of earth, smolder on the many worlds of the cosmos. Now with the means to fuel old rivalries, the governments of distance planets such as Kroneheim, Junzen, New Britain, and as many others as there are stars in the sky ache, deep in the unknown places of the heart to return to the hills and valleys of their forgotten homes, and know the fruits of the peace they try to destroy........------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from the Book "The Forgotten History of Human Expansion"

The story of the Sol system is the story of all humanity. Sol, the cradle of humanity has been the battlefield of her wars and bloodshed for generations beyond count. Life among the stars, on any other ground but Earth, is only a sentence in the sprawling history of humanity. The change occurred early in, what historians have come to call the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œBroken EarthÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, of the early 21st century. Violence and death ravaged great parts of the globe and the earths resources, squandered for centuries were starting to show signs of exhaustion. Just when things looked the bleakest two scientists, Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann both electrochemical engineers, made a startling discovery involving room temperature fusion of deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen. This news, because it had come form chemists instead of physicists, was largely ignored. By 2008, other scientist had duplicated their experiments and within 2 years, the first cold fusion reactor, dubbed the PF reactor in honor of Pons and Fleishman, was commissioned for the city of Baltimore Maryland. This reactor which was fueled by heavy water, went on-line August 31, 2012, and worked without a hitch. This new cheap, clean power source was set to revolutionize the entire world. By 2022, 90% of all power generated in the United States was produced by PF reactors. Along with this came sweeping reforms for the regulation of the Petroleum industry, who had almost overnight saw their stock and their reputations plummet. This new public conscience hit hardest in the Middle East where entire economies were dependent on the prices of crude oil. A firestorm of protests and violence surged throughout the destabilized region, as governments and economies collapsed. Through it all Muslim religious factions joined forces to denounce the United States as imperialist trying to undermine the stability of their economies. Early in 2023, several members of an islamic extremist group, said to be funded from the middle eastern state of Iran, planted a small nuclear device in a shopping center several blocks from downtown Los Angeles. The bomb detonated at 5:14pm on January 12th. The final death tolls including those suffering from radiation poisoning numbered close to 32,000. The American response was swift and decisive. Before the ash had settled on downtown LA, the US intelligence gathering apparatus has found the terrorists and their sponsors and within 12 hours of the attack Marine Reaction Forces were landing in the Gulf. Air strikes and laser guided munitions ground the cities of Iran to dust and low yield nuclear artillery rounds melted hundreds of square miles of desert into glass. The U.N. held a special session to discuss the severity of the US reprisal. Their session closed with sanctions against the U.S. and voted unanimously to censure the president, Travis Brody, for the collateral damage inflicted in the attack. Brody responded by signing executive order 2408A, officially withdrawing the United States from the U.N. The actions of the U.S. instantly polarized the whole of Islam, and in March of that year the entire Middle East unified, forming the Sovereign State of Islam, under Abdul Dhul Fiqar ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œservant of the prophets swordÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, a charismatic son of a Saudi oil sheik. Sovereign Islam immediately decreed that all loyal muslims wage Jihad against the U.S. The war lasted just 200 days, and ended with the entire Middle Eastern block declared as a U.S. protectorate. The U.N. sat powerless as America expanded her control of the newly acquired states. In August the U.N., after weeks of talk, issued an ultimatum, that the U.S. pull out of the middle east and surrender a total of 6 trillion dollars to rebuild the countries destroyed during the 3rd gulf war. The U.S. in response formed the Western Hemisphere Compact, composed of countries who supported the U.S. including Britain, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and the whole of South America. Months passed and pressure from the state of Sovereign Islam, whose government was now in exile in France, forced the hand of the U.N. A U.N. resolution led by the ambassador from France, declared war on the U.S. led WHC. The third world war had begun. Before the ink had dried on the declaration, the war was over. In less than six months the WHC destroyed the much inferior forces of the U.N. During the short war the U.S. unveiled the power of the fully realized SDI program initiated in the 1980ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s and powered by PF reactors. With less than 10,000 killed, the U.N. secretary signed a declaration of unconditional surrender to the WHC forces. The UN was immediately dissolved and on May 8th, 2024 the WHC became the Terran Compact and for the first time in history the entire globe was unified under the power of one government, the United States. Other events played out under the shadows of war. In 2018 research began by the Mexican Physicist Miguel Alcubierre led to the first successful unmanned faster than light flight to the solar systems Zenith. The technology, based on AlcubierreÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Warp Theory, began to grow rapidly, and by 2020 our understanding of the nature of space time was growing by an order of magnitude. In 2022, just months before the bombing that would set into motion the events leading to the formation of the TC, Major Thomas Hoch USAF made the first manned faster than light flight in the ship Solar 1, equipped with a MAW drive. Further technology spin offs including the invention of a viable anti-gravity device enabled the first rudimentary station to be built on the moon, and within 8 months the first human missions to Mars were executed. As events unfolded, it was obvious that the course of human destiny had changed, and that not all human were aware of it, and fought the change at every turn. Unrest and revolt were the defining words for the following years across the globe, as the TC enforced its will on previously sovereign states. The lack of manpower to contain these isolated events, saw them quelled brutally as overworked troops made examples of dissidents who refused to comply. As the unrest grew, a solution presented itself; the newly discovered warp drive would begin to carry off batches of these dissidents. The thinking was that when removed from earth, these troublemakers would conform to TC policy by using the leverage of isolation, while at the same time providing a labor pool to exploit the resources of distant stars. This could also alleviate the growing population in the planets urban centers, where food shortages and rioting had taken its inevitable toll. By 2029, the growing aerospace technology field allowed the construction of a fleet of survey ships under the auspices of ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œProject PrometheusÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. Their mission statement was to survey planets for possible future colonies. The survey ship ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œIcarusÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? fell out of warp around their first target, Alpha Centauri , on April 27th, 2029 at 3:14 GMT. Over the course of the next 3 days they mapped the surface of 7 planets in the multiple star system. One planet which they rightly named Nova Terra was startlingly similar to Earth in its climate, atmosphere, gravity and geology. Back in the Sol system several major space-based projects were initiated which were to affect humanity for all time and set the course for the habitation of alien worlds. TC senate appropriations were passed in June of 2029 for the first phase of these projects, to establish human living quarters on the Moon and Mars, and to begin exploitation of the resources in the systems asteroid belt. Further legislation enacted the following year began the construction of several atmospheric generators hoped to create a earth like atmosphere on Mars, and the construction of an orbital station where ships could be produced for expeditions to planets outside our solar system. 2029 also saw the formation of the first industrial conglomerate formed for the sole purpose of aquiring contracts for the off-world projects the TC planned. Terran Orbital Industries Unlimited was awarded many of the contracts for the planned projects, and research funded by the company produced many of the technologies that would be used for centuries to allow human to survive the rigors of space travel. The first ships of what is now called ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œThe ExodusÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? embarked in 2032 for the newly founded colony of Nova Terra. Throughout the next decade, billions of humans crossed the distance to scores of awaiting planets. The second and third Exodus in actuality, were a constant stream of immigrants, many against their will, to these new worlds. The next step in the history of Sol came in 2066. The Sol system was finally at peace. The projects on Mars and the Moon were completed and making good progress. The population of the Sol system had been cut almost in half and the alleviated planet had begun to heal itself of the scars of mankinds history. In September of that year, three colonies in quick succession declared their independence from the TC. On the planet New Britain, the first act by the newly restored royal Monarch, Albert I of the house of Arturos, was to declare the Whitcross system a sovereign state no longer under the control of the TC. Likewise the newly crowned Emperor of the Nishu system, Lord Horigashi Matsumana of the first Tenno dynasty , added that his system would no longer support the terran compact or be bound by her laws. In October, while the TC was considering its options, the third colony, in the Gandis system, joined the ranks of the resolved. The TC was in a quandary, as even if it had the man power to stem the tide, it lacked the capability to land enough forces to prevent the defection. The months that followed saw similar declarations from other colonies, many not nearly self-sufficient enough to support themselves. The TC administration saw at once that something must be done to bring her colonial assets into line. In January of 2067, the TC government passed a measure to begin construction of a fleet of warships equipped with the MAW drive, capable of bringing force to bear on worlds not willing to accept TC policy. The wording in the Congressional findings included ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œ ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â¦. pacification by forceÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â¦ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? . As word of the TC decision spread scores of colonies including the Sovereign Nations of New Britain, Nishu, and the AVL(the official name of the nation based on Kroneheim) began their own military programs in preparations for what looked to be the first intergalactic war. By 2072 the first of these Warships were rolling out of their construction berths. Ground forces had begun their training in planetary assault and the armed forces of the TC almost overnight went from a planetary peacekeeping organization to a machine of war. The TCÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s forces were expanded from around 3 million to 22 million soldiers over the course of 5 years and all of humanity braced themselves for the war that was sure to follow. The first warships jumped out of the Sol system on May 6th, 2073 on course for the Whitcross system. They fell out of warp in the Whitcross system on August 9th , 2074. The battle that ensued with the newly commissioned Royal Navy, to the surprise of both TC and New Britain forces was decidedly one sided in favor of the British Forces. When the first wave of landing troops dropped to the planets surface, they were unprepared for the ferocity of the ground battle that followed. The first engagements showed the relative inexperience of the forces of both sides. The final battle, known to posterity as the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œbattle of Castle HeightsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? left the TC forces in a general rout and decisively established the sovereignty of New Britain under the rule of Albert I who had personally commanded the British forces during the battle. Similar results awaited the forces deployed to Nishu and Gandis. Each were able to defeat, through attrition, the TC forces, whose overconfidence had left them without the supplies to fight a protracted battle. Only in the smaller unprepared systems were the TC forces able to win decisive victories and reestablish their dominance over the foundering colonies. The aftermath of the First Secession War, saw the loss of more than two-thirds of the TC fleet, trillions of dollars of equipment and fuel, and countless lives as well as the publics confidence in the TCÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s administration. The news shocked the citizens of Sol, who clamored for an end to the wasteful expenditure, as the government was already preparing for the 2nd war. The near complete devastation of the TCÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s forces and the growing sentiment of EarthÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s citizens, gave the administrators pause. The final decision reached in 2075, was the passing of a bill, the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œColonial Reform ActÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, which set up the parameters by which a colony could gain autonomy. This bill meant to save face for the TC government without the need to risk another secession war, achieved what no one had expected. An onslaught of regions on Earth petitioned the TC government for the ability to be recognized as autonomous under the conditions of the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œColonial Reform ActÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. When the TC government released official statements that the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œColonial Reform ActÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? would never be applied to any region on Earth, a new round of violence swept across the globe. This new violence was met by sweeping changes in TC policy. The new Administration pushed through changes in the governmental policy affecting the freedoms, based largely on the American bill of rights, of its many citizens. These new policies set up the groundwork for the TC,s change to a heavy handed totalitarian government. The defeats in the Nishu, Whitcross, and Gandis systems, gained the TC vital training on the nature of interstellar warfare and the knowledge that a large scale war should be avoided if possible. The next century saw the advancement of the TCÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s new policy of fascist totalitarianism along with the advances in the quality of life on Earth and in the entire Sol system. The terraforming of Mars was completed in 2150, and the new pollution controls and system of land revitalization had remade the Earth into the pinnacle of mankindÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s achievements. The weather control system, capable of dispersing potentially damaging weather, along with other projects stopped and then reversed the growth of the worlds deserts, creating arable farmland in what was once the Sahara and Gobi. The TCÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s forces over the course of the next century developed into a viable defense force, having fought thousands of border skirmishes and uprisings on small colonies.

Sol Today

The Sol system today is unquestionable one of the greatest achievements of the Human Race. Projects started in the dawn of the current age are now coming into fruition, and the standard of living for TC citizen far surpasses most every other system. The systems 19 billion inhabitants have spread to every habitable corner from the depths of Mercury to the peaks of SaturnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s moons. Many have likened the expansion in the system to humanities expansion to the corners of Sapient Space. Earth remains the seat of the Sol system, housing nearly half of the systems population. Projects started in the years since the Exodus have turned previously uninhabitable land into a virtual paradise. Where deserts and badlands had once separated population centers, now crops grow. Systems of weather satellites disperse potentially dangerous storms while strings of cities on the oceans floors mine resources from the Earths very heart. The capitol of the Terran Compact is located in the city of Washington DC in the NorAm sector. Lunis, as EarthÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s moon is now called, holds a special place in the heart of humanity. The various Lunar Population Projects have turned the once desolate world into a self supporting ecosystem capable of sustaining humanity. The heart of the Lunar Population Project began in the latter part of the 21st century as a test bed for future intstellar colonies. Early mining projects between the moon and the asteroid belt shifted billions of tons of heavy elements into the moons inner core. This added density to the newly engineered planetoid and gave the moon a level of gravity necessary to support an atmosphere. Other projects saw the newly created Lunar core ignited by nuclear reactions warming the surface of the new world. Today the moon is a vibrant world where forests of genetically engineered trees grow tall in the mild .85g Lunar gravity while fish swim in the new sea of Tranquility. Mars, much like Lunis, has been changed in ways past people could never have imagined. Fully 6.5 billion people live and work on the once red planet. The Martian Population Project, like the projects of Lunis, was begun in the late 21st century and reached completion much ahead of schedule as new breakthroughs in science and biology revolutionized the TCÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s system of terraforming. Mars today is almost a mirror image of EarthÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s biology and ecosystems. Cities spread across the horizon into the cool mist of the martian night. Other attractions in the Sol system include large population centers in the cool, shadowy canyons and craters of Mercury and Venus, while several large dome cities spread across the icy surface of the moons of Saturn. Major mining operations still persist in the systems asteroid belt and produce billions of tons of raw ore per year.

Organization

The governing of Earth has been divided into 6 regions. The NorAm sector acknowledged the sovereignty of the old United States and included all of America and Canada and was administrated from Washington D.C. The Asia Major Sector included all the countries of the old Soviet Union , and the eastern bloc region and held its administration in the Russian city of Kiev. The Asia Minor Sector included all of south east asia and the Orient as well as the Philippines ,the Pacific Islands, and the Indian subcontinent and was ruled from Soeul. The Euro Sector covered the whole of mainland Europe and the islands of Britian, and was administered from London. The Africa Sector affected the entire continents of Africa and Australia and included the Middle East and was headquartered in Johannesburg. Finally the SoAm Sector included all of Central and South America, and was administered from Buenos Aires. Special subcommittees were appointed to oversee and set policy for the off-world colonies. The Executive Branch of the Terran Compact is composed of the President and his cabinet. The cabinet administrates the various factors of the systems infrastructure.

Military Assets

The militaries of the TC are organized very similarly to the armies of the broken Earth United States. The TC Army includes over 80 million soldiers, organized into 640 divisions, while the TC naval assets include 8 independent fleet commands. The naval assets also include the Terran Marine Corp, who command some 30 divisions of marines. The Marine Corp also possesses its own small highly mobile ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œMarine Reaction FleetsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? capable of delivering military assets to potential hot zones with startling speed. Overall the TC armed forces include some 140 million including logistics and support personnel.

Industry

Terran industry remains among the highest performers in the ICA Stock Exchange. The systems itself is a hotbed of corporate activity, where almost every major corporation has a branch office, while many use Sol as their corporate headquarters. Most every industry, from mining to biotech, is represented in Sol, while the systems production assets produce every form of consumer good. Major Corporations include; Solar Transportation, Solar Ore, and Synotech, just to name a few.

Law

The TC government has evolved over its long history through many doctrines of the old nations of the broken Earth. The TC today could most accurately be called a Totalitarian government, considering its heavy handed government and hundreds of layers of bureaucracy. Though corruption runs rampant to the highest levels of the TC government, the citizens of Sol are largely happy in their ignorance of true freedom. The TC government has over the past 60 years come to terms with her ill-borne creations; including ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œup-lifted, clones, and robots. While the average citizen still see these sub-races as less than human, the Government of the TC has begun to consider laws whereby these races can receive citizenship, though that is still some time off. Current policy for these sub-races is mostly vague and loosely worded, usually giving them little rights. This system, which fosters the abuse of the systems many sub-Sapients, has caused many much animosity with the systems who consider these races equal to humanity. Many policing agencies pervade every level of the TC government, from Federal to Municipal authorities. The TC Security Force is the top agency for law enforcement in the Sol system. The TCSF has become, in the century since its inception, a highly corrupt yet effective force in Terran Space. The TCSF maintains offices in every major city in the Sol system as well as a fleet of STL craft for patrolling the inner system.

Culture

Like most every nation in Sapient Space, the culture of Sol is a blending of all the cultures of humanity, more-so here than anywhere else. The many traditions of once warring nations are now commonly practiced side-by-side while an overtone of the new space faring culture of humanity pervades every life and blends the Earths many cultures into all shades of the same. The official language of the TC is High Common(English) though every human language is spoken in various parts of the globe. The monetary system is based on the TC Dollar, though as a member state of the ICA, the Credit is almost universally accepted.

In the year 2025, after the rise of the Western Hemisphere Compact on Earth, many political action groups started to form to protest the rise of American domination of the worlds power base. One such group known as ArbeitersRechtBewegung, or Labor Rights Movement, began as a socialist party in Germany protesting against capitalists corruption of American industries in the rebuilding of Europe after the war which unified the globe under the auspices of the Terran Compact. As the parties popularity grew among the academic elite, one man, Hans Albrecht von Hesse came to be the mouthpiece for espousing the parties socialist doctrine. Von Hesse , a tenured professor from the university of Bonn, wrote the book ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œArbeiterÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Versprechen Sie LandÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, which became the heart of the parties political agenda. In his book Von Hesse explained that though previous attempts at a socialist utopia had failed, with humanities current level of technology and given the right leader, mankind could live in complete harmony in a socialist state and an educated ambivalent state would rise as an example to the rest of humanity. Under HesseÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s leadership the party mostly stagnated, though they were able to win several minor elections, they had little impact outside academic circles. It wasnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t until 2035 that the parties history truly began. After the death of Von Hesse , another leader came to the front, Claus Zimmel. Zimmel was a man of immense exuberance and personal charisma, who genuinely revered the socialist doctrine. Zimmel was also a logistic genius, who had an uncanny knack for organization. Zimmel attended a conference in early 2032 where he met Richard van Stratton, an oil and steel multi-billionaire. Van Stratton, then 90 years old, was instantly taken with Zimmels idealistic nature. Van Stratton had no living heirs, and was sympathetic to the socialist ideal, having been born into squalor himself he had built his fortune through hard work and shrewd deals. Now looking back on his life he wished to leave a legacy for the unfortunate masses he left behind. When van Stratton died 3 years later he left his entire fortune in a trust to be administered by the party. By this time the Exodus had begun, and the parties agenda quickly changed in light of the fortune now at their disposal. Zimmel went to work immediately, spending sometimes 20 hours a day going over the hundreds of survey reports of the many worlds being colonized. Finally Zimmel chose the Gandis system as a final home for the parties devotees. Zimmel prepared for the move for eight years before the plans were finalized. In the early part of 2043, the colony finally embarked. 200 cargo ships loaded with 800 thousand colonist and enough machinery and equipment to set up the beginnings of a viable infrastructure made light speed at from the solar zenith. The ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œZimmel ExpeditionÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? became the model for many future colony projects. The colony dubbed ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œArbeiterÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Versprechen Sie LandÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? in honor of Von Hesse, prospered at once. Immigrants seeking the equal share the AVL offered flooded her jump points. As the labor pool expanded, so did the exploitation of KroneheimÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s and the Gandis systemÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s abundant resources. Within 40 years the systems population was at 21 million and growing by the day. Von HesseÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s dream of a socialist utopia seemed to be materializing into a reality. In the early years of the AVL, citizens enjoyed a virtual paradise. No currency was needed, and the socialist system of equal portioning ushered in an age of good will towards man, with little strife. This wasnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t to last forever. The influx to the colony of radical communist and militant hardliners had by 2085 replaced the peaceful ideals of socialist brotherhood with ironhanded communist rhetoric. Life was no longer lived for the betterment of one fellow man, but for advancement of the state and party doctrine.A host of militant uprisings and rebellions trying to oust the militant government and return to the early ideals the colony was founded on were all for naught and only helped to solidify the New Parties stranglehold on Kroneheim, the AVL, and the Gandis system. This period is known to historians as the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œNeo-Leninist TransitionÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?

Kroneheim Today

Today, two centuries after the parties beginnings, the Gandis system runs as a well oiled machine. In the early years of the new party, the examples of past communist unions were examined to determine where they failed, and several principles have been highly successful in promoting a lasting system of communist rule. The new party is extremely aware that the key to a successful state under the communist doctrine is the general feeling of well-being and happiness of their citizens. This need, coupled with the parties need for a competent technical labor base, has become the driving force in the way the government operates. Indoctrination begins almost at birth for the average citizen. Schooling is heavily laden with party propaganda, and teaches children at an early age that the government is responsible for their well-being and safety. This principle is most easily seen in the organization and management of the populace. Throughout a childÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s school career he will undergo a series of mental, and psychological test which determine what occupation he is best suited for. This allows government labor controllers to minutely direct and manage the labor pool, allowing for near zero percent unemployment. The party also recognizes the populations need for comfort and material goods. The national industry produces all manner of goods to meet these needs. A party agent known as a ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œComfort AgentÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? distributes these, usually poor quality, goods to the populace. The comfort agent is a key political instrument in managing the populace. Each Comfort Agent, responsible for a number of people in a neighborhood, is the eyes and ears for the party. He is also seen by the people as the personification of the parties good-will. Little measures like remembering the birthdays of all his constituents and the personal dissemination of comfort goods make him a likable and popular person in the neighborhood, and perfect spokesman for party propaganda. The comfort agent can often be seen delivering presents from the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œFatherlandÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? or organizing youth sports leagues and block parties. This micromanagement of every life in the borders of the AVL is constant from the cradle to the grave. Every want or need is accounted, and allotted for. The average citizen of Kroneheim is perfectly content, and even if deep down they long for the freedom they have never known, any idea of individualism is lost among the miles of uniform houses and lawns, with a National Industries model conveyance, available in 22 colors, parked in every drive.

Organization

The AVL is a communist government headed by a Prime Chancellor. The Chancellor has direct and complete control of every nuance of the Gandis system. The Chancellor is advised by a cabinet of ministers who each control a different aspect of the nations operation. The ministers of the cabinet include the War Minister, in charge of the nations militaries. The Justice Minister administers the judicial system and all law enforcement branches including the Politzi. The Education Minister heads the system of public education as well as all facilities of higher learning and technical schools. The Industry Minister manages the nations many state sponsored industries and is responsible for finding employment for new additions to the nations labor pool. The Information Minister manages all the nations media and propaganda machinery, and supervises the system of AI which acts as a censor to the incoming data from the Datanet. The Interior Minister is responsible for the nations natural resources and runs the housing division. The Exterior Minister is responsible for any offworld assents of the nation, including exploitation of the systems offworld resources. The Minister of Human Resources is the head of the nations system of Comfort agents and also sits as director of the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œKroneheim Enverteidigung und Intelligenz Teilung (Kroneheim defense and intelligence division) or EIT. On a local level the government is managed by a system of municipal political officers who act as both local administrators and judicial figures. Comfort agents are assigned to every population center and report to the local political officer. One organization, the Party Affairs Division, is probably the most powerful of all the bureaucratic agencies. This organization is charged with overseeing and auditing all the other divisions to insure adherence to the parties doctrine, and not even the Chancellor himself is immune to the PADÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s oversight. This system of oversight makes the entire government of the AVL a self perpetuating machine incapable of anything but a further state of communism.

Industry

The AVL has a number of state owned industries, which are all called simply Kroneheim Fabrik National or Kroneheim national industry. The arms industry of the AVL known as Kroneheim Waffen Fabrik or Kroneheim weapons industry. The KFN produces everything form clothing to electronics though mostly of low quality, these items are also heavily produced for export. The KWF factories are known for producing if not high end, at least quality weapons. These weapons are frequently exported to any nation willing to buy them and which makes arms production one of the nations chief exports. The environment of the planet Kroneheim make it extremely suitable for agriculture and these products make up the nations second biggest export. Though the nation prides itself on self sufficiency, loads of consumer goods are regularly imported into the system. High tariffs typically drive the cost of imported goods to a level much higher than the average citizen is capable of affording. This keeps most of the systems wealth in the system.

Military Assets

The military forces of the AVL are organized into Fleet and ground forces. The ground forces of the AVL, known as Kroneheim Armee Corp is a mixture of human, clone, and robot forces, though these different unit types are never mixed. The party also commands a further subdivision of the ground forces known as the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œLegions of KroneheimÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. These soldiers are chosen for their supreme loyalty to the parties ideals and are given the best training and equipment. Over its history, the KAC has developed its own system of military organization and operational doctrine, and is a mostly viable force with competent management and logistics. The fleet forces have an addition subdivision known as the KreigsMarines. These forces usually act as highly mobile advance landing troops and quick reaction forces in any engagement. The AVLÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s doctrine relies heavily on the idea of Kampf-Gruppen or task forces comprised of task specific troops assembled to meet a predetermined operational objective.

Diplomatic Relationships

The AVL is less than cordial with most other system, having adopted a policy of strict isolationism. Most other systems view the AVL as a strong threat to the peace of Sapient Space. The AVL is particularly aggressive towards the TC, with whom they fight countless border skirmishes. The cold war going on among all the governments of Humanity, is being waged by millions of intelligence officers in every sector of Sapient Space. Under the tenets of the New Shambala Accord, trade with the Nishu system has prospered. The treaty concluded as a non-agression pact between the two governments, and holds that each recognizes the sovereignty of the other. Tanqui is known for their advancements in robotics and electronics, and was pleased to find a new system wide market for their export goods, while at the same time importing many of the arms produced by the AVLÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s state owned arms arsenals.

The Gandis System

Gandis is a single class M3 star with half the lumonisity and mass of Sol. The main planet in the system, Kroneheim, was discovered and surveyed in the first wave of the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œPrometheus ProjectÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, tasked with finding and surveying earth like planets for future human colonies. Kroneheim ,because of the closer proximity of its orbit, makes up for the smaller size of the parent star, and has a mean temperature and atmospheric makeup extremely close to that of Earth normal. The wavelength of light produced by the smaller M3 star produces a redish purple tint in the sky which highlights the planets dust ring. This prominent ring is where the name Kroneheim, or Crown World, is derived. Other attractions in the Gandis system are the asteroid belts and mining stations, whose operations are expanding daily, and the Jused Data relay, located on the small planetoid orbiting the outer planet Jused. Laws in the Gandis system are harsh at best, the many policing organizations routinely confiscate or impound property of those suspected of commiting a crime. Anyone entering the Gandis system must produce documentation for their visit or could be arrested for espionage, and held any length of time the government sees fit. Smugglers caught plying their trade in the Gandis system can expect to be dealt with harshly, usually being executed as an example, with their property and cargo considered forfeit. Non-Sapient is the Governments official designation for a sentient creature which was created through any means other than natural human conception. Any being falling under this designation, meant to target Robots, Clones, and genetically altered intelligent species, is completely without rights and the property of their creator. Of course it is illegal for a private citizen to own any of these so any Non-Sapients found within the Gandis system, not owned by the operator of a merchant ship, are immediately taken into possession by the AVL. The capitol of the Gandis system is the city of Hesse on Kroneheim, a sprawling mega city with a population of over 30 million people. Other major cities include Strattengart, Zimmelburg, Weiserburg, Kezovich, and Nunendank. The most common languages on Kronheim are High Common(English), German, Rusodeut (a combination of german , polish, and Russian), and several Warsaw and Eastern Bloc languages. The standard currency of Gandis is the Kronmark, though many banks have access to the datanet and can exchange common currency.

Early History The Order of Void, founded over 220 years ago, was begun by 3 men. The early history of these three remains sketchy, especially in their early years before the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œMoment of FateÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. Simon Bedford Hackston is said to have been born somewhere in the remains of the southeast of the pre broken earth United States. Not much is known of his deeds before 2092, but it is known that he was serving in the Terran Compact Marine 12th division as a Seargent Major. Service records recovered show that he fought in some 19 major engagements prior to 2092, including ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œNew CoronadoÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œCastle HeightsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œthe Rassa uprisingÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, and the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œTau Ceti conflictÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, as well as numerous smaller skirmishes. He received a number of commendations including 3 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars, a Silver Star, and the TC Medal of Honor for his actions in the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œbattle of New CoronadoÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. Nicholai Alexi Petrakoff is known to have been born to a family of steel workers in the foot hills of the Ural Mountains in the old soviet country of Ukraine. His upbringing was heavily influenced by his grandfather, who was an ex statesman, ousted during the fall of the old soviet union. Petrakoff grew up hearing partisan stories of the glory of the USSR, destroyed by capitalist imperialism. The state of the Asian Major sector in the early days of the TC was a grim shadow of the splendor of Asia today. When NicholaiÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s grandfather was found guilty of sedition and sentenced to exile on the 2nd wave of The Exodus, Nicholai joined him. Now 16, he and his grandfather made their way, like so many others of their beliefs, to the growing population of the planet Kronheim in the Gandis system. There he lied about his age and joined the Army of the AVL (ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œArbeiters Versprechen Sie LandÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? or WorkerÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Promise Land) where he quickly rose through the ranks. In 2092 he was serving as a Lieutenant in the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œKampf-Pioneer Infanterie 3rd GruppenÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? or Combat Engineers 3rd Division. Otho Dimgane was born to Nigerian immigrants of the 1st Exodus. His parents, both doctors, made their way to the planet New Britain in the Whitcross system. There Otho and his family tried to put the conflicts of their ancestral home behind them. Otho was set to follow in his parents footsteps, having been accepted to New Portsmouth University. But in his heart he had never forgotten his flight from Sol. His ardent wish was to see the many places the stars had to offer, and at the age of 17 he snuck out of the house and joined the Imperial Armed Forces under an assumed name. He wound up in the 17th Regiment , ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œHis MajestyÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Royal Dragoon GuardsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, a highly decorated regiment with a long and glorious tradition. Otho took to military life from the start. Within 8 years he was offered a commission, and by 2092 he was serving as a Captain in the 17th. The full account of the Battle of Dorthessefuhr Moons in the Wolf 1453 system has never been rendered. It is known that a discovery in late 2091 of a large cache of ancient alien artifacts by the plants colonial inhabitants of the dome colony of Dorthessefuhr 6, sparked a sudden interest in the backwater colony. The militaries of three of the most powerful systems rapidly deployed tasks forces to reach the artifacts first. Each hoped to find some alien technology which would make them the supreme force in the ever growing sapient space. The first forward pickets of the 3 task forces fell out of warp within hours of each other in the early part of December 2091. A cold standoff persisted for almost a month as the three forces sent word back to their own governments and waited for the go to open fire. In the meantime the 3 forces grew in size until 3 armadas lay around the gas giant Dorthessefuhr, and the colonist could do nothing but watch and wait. On the 21st of March , 2091 the first word to arrive back was that of the AVL. The command from Kroneheim was that the cache was to be taken at all costs. The first shots were fired from the KS JagerMadchen at 3:28am standard time. The other fleets did not wait for a command to return fire. The naval engagement lasted 81 hours, and included over 70 ships of the line and hundreds of fighters and strategic bombers. Even today the debris from the battle forms a ring around Dorthessefuhr 6, which can be seen low in the night sky. Thirty one hours into the battle at 10:51am standard time on March 22nd the landing boats started their descent towards the surface. The TC forces consisted of roughly 38,000 men. The AVL had descended to the surface with a taskforce of roughly 24,000 and the Royal navy dropped a contingent of Royal Marines and regular army numbering almost 32,000 into the thin atmosphere of this unassuming planet the men had come to call ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œDorthy 6ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. The ground fighting quickly devolved into a bloody brawl. The orbital bombardment in the early part of the battle quickly destroyed the command and control centers of the three armies. Large units were completely annihilated. The 20th highlanders regiment was killed to the man. To this day no unit in the New Britain empire bears the designation of 20th regiment. As fate would have it the three men who were to be forever joined in history each commanded a force assigned to secure the system of caves where the cache of artifacts was located. By the time the three forces reached the lower reaches of the caves, they each numbered less than 20 men. What followed is, even today, highly speculated about, but items pieced together from the later writings of the void scholars reveals that the three groups found the cache in question. The general consensus of scholars highly regarded on the subject, is that what the three units found was a memory core created by a race of alien conquerors who ruled a large portion of what is now considered sapient space. This database showed images of thousands of worlds destroyed by these alien aggressors before the first creatures crawled from the primeval oceans of earth. This moment is forever known among the disciples of the void as the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œmoment of fateÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, and in void reckoning is zero hour, or the beginning of humanities safety. Forty one men including the three unit commanders made it back out of the caves. They were found lying together by a Universal Red Cross medical team scouting for survivors. When they awoke from the months of treatment for severe radiation burns aboard the Red Cross hospital ship ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œURS NightingaleÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, they were changed men. The forty one men promptly deserted from their respective armies and escaped to the fringe. The years that follow are also sketchy. Void propaganda says that the next twelve years the forty one men were searching the stars for the righteous of humanity. Official documents show that a mercenary company calling themselves ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œThe Sword of VoidÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? made a debut in a series of battles in the fringe which history has come to call ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œthe edgeworlds conflictÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. It is commonly surmised that during this time the Void knights were organizing and recruiting and strengthening their forces. The first time the order appeared as it is today was in 2142. The order ,consisting of 5 divisions and over 40 thousand civilian refugees from the battles of the Edgeworlds Conflict in 31 ships, entered the sparsely populated Ezen system. Almost immediately the order went to work constructing what would be their permanent home among the stars. The two major planets in the system, now known as steward and temple, were almost overnight transformed from a sleepy foundering colony to a major power in sapient space. Within 10 years the order declared to the universe that the Order of the Void was a sovereign state, and that any transgression against the people or System of Ezen would be met with severe retribution. Today the Sovereign order of the Void prospers, with the entire population of Steward, which remains even today a beacon for refugees of other nations, who aspire for freedom from corruption and the oppression of their home systems, as a willing labor force, who sleep peacefully every night under the ambivalent shield of the orders protection. The pride of the citizens of Steward in the reputation of Ezen as probably the safest system in Sapient Space under the guiding hand of the order swells the ranks of the order with children who aspire to stand counted among the protectors of humanity.

The Order Today

The order as it exists today, is a monastic military order, based on a quasi-religious system of ancestor worship. The zeal of the devotees is promoted by the command of the order, who realize the psychological advantage possessed by warriors completely willing to die at the command of their superiors without a momentÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s hesitation. This complete devotion coupled with a grueling training and conditioning program have made the soldiers of the void some of the most feared and respected warriors in Sapient Space. The orders purpose, as laid down by the three founders, is to train their bodies to the point of human perfection, in order to prepare for what the order believes will be an intergalactic war with an, as yet, unknown alien aggressor. These basic beliefs pervade all levels of the orders training, structure, and operation. The quasi-religious aspect, based on worship of the strength of previous soldiers of the void, has developed as a focus for the discipline and mental fortitude needed to survive in the ranks of the order. The operational structure of the order is based on the ideal that each division, known in the order as a ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œLegionÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, must be able to act in an autonomous manner without assistance. This ideal is fostered in every soldier, that each trooper must be willing and able to act independently to accomplish their goals if necessary. This doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t mean that soldiers of the void are incapable of working as a team, in fact the esprit-de-corp among the orders rank and file is enhanced by the feeling of isolation from command and reinforcement above the level of their own comrades. Because of these factors, rivalries between Legions flourish. Legions routinely compete for the honor of deployment and the chance to prove their novices in battle.

Structure

The entire Order is commanded by three men, called the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œTriadÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. The Triad consists of the Grand Master of the Order, who as the name implies, is the complete master of the order, and the entire Ezen system. The other members of the Triad are the Master of Operations and the Master of Quarters, who serve as the Grand Masters general staff. The Triad shifts jobs every three years , so that every three years a new Grand Master takes charge of the order, and the old Grand Master becomes general staff. In this manner, the command of the order gets stronger over the course of their tenure as each man gains an understanding of the duties of the Triad and can better advise the Grand Master. The Master of Operations is in charge of strategic planning of operations and deployment of the orders forces. The Master of Quarters is in charger of the orders daily operations and the operation of the home system and its defense, including Steward and its populace. This reverence for the number 3 is apparent in the entire structure of the order. The Triad of the order is elected every nine years by the war cabinet, which consists of the holy generals of each of the orders 12 legions. The order is organized into 12 Legions, each numbering roughly 100,000, each with their own regimental history and celebrated ancestors. Each Legion acts as a semi-autonomous group, each responsible for their own supply network and support personnel, and each with their own headquarters on the planet Temple where the Legions training take place. Each Legion is headed by a Holy General who is the commander-in-chief of his Legion. They are responsible for every aspect of their command and run it as they see fit, with only a minimum of guidance from the Triad. The Reverend Commander acts as the executive officer for the legion and is generally responsible for the Legions daily affairs, as well as acting as aide-de-camp for the Holy General. Three officers are of equal rank directly under the Reverend Commander and acts as the Holy Generals staff officers. They are the Captain of the Host, in charge of the discipline and training of personnel within the Legion. The Captain of the Temple, in charge of tactical planning for operations assigned to the Legion, and the Master Steward, in charge of materials and support personnel assigned to the Legion as well as the intelligence gathering apparatus of the Legion. Officers in the order have the archaic rank of Knighthood, and all officers come directly from the ranks of the enlisted. The knighthood in the order is a very powerful title which holds a mysticism for the officerÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s subordinates. The knighthood also proffers unto the recipient a measure of latitude when dealing with superiors. Any knight regardless of rank may demand a trial by combat with any other knight to settle a grievance or perceived insult to their sacred honor. This system of personal honor is a tradition carried over from the earliest Triad at the founding of the order. The auspicious rank of knight also carries with it the reward of ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œthe Regimental BloodlineÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. This material, made up of the refined DNA samples of past members of the Legion who have been canonized, is administered as a gene therapy. This procedure instills into the new knight whatever quality the order found worthy in the original contributors, and improves the warriorÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s combat capabilities. These traits as well as the knowledge of the enlisted men under his command of the requirements to receive the accolade, give the knighted officer a firm grip on the respect and discipline of the men in his command. Each cohort in a legion, usually 10, has a commanding officer called a Senior Knight in Command, or just Senior Knight. This is the only official officer rank other than the ranks which make up the general staff, which makes the ranks structure very confusing for those outside the order, but knights are extremely aware of whom they are junior to and act accordingly. This order of precedence among the knighthood determines at what level a knight commands. Each Cohort is composed of Centuries consisting of 100 men. They are commanded by the most junior knights. The senior enlisted man of each century is called the Sergeant-Major and he assists the Century Knight in the commanding the century. Each century is composed of 10, ten man squads commanded by a Master-Sergeant who acts as squad leader during an operation. The majority of the rank and file devotees are of the rank Sergeant-Brother. This is the most common rank in the order and is achieved after a squad is ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œBloodedÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? or proven in battle. Sergeants-Brothers receive a tattoo on their face of the regimental colors on their left cheek and their blood type , name, and serial number on the right. This ceremony, Known as the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œBlood MarkÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, is, next to the Accolade, the most important ceremony in the life of the young warrior, as it marks him as a true warrior and shows the world where his loyalty and honor lies. The most junior rank in the order is that of the Novice. These junior soldiers are untested in battle, and are at the beck and call of the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œBloodedÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? senior warriors. Novices are consistently given the worst assignments of menial labor and duty, this like all other things is a test of will and temperance, and teaches the fundamentals of what it means to serve. Novices can be as young as 14 though rarely, and any boy or girl who wishes to enter the order at that age can go into a recruitment center on Steward and if found acceptable can enter service, sometimes to the resentment of their parents. Novices are usually assigned to Legions and squads to replace numbers lost in battle, but when an entire squad is lost, the entire squad is replaced by Novices. One novice, always the one who shows the most promise, is given the rank Master-Novice and is put in charge of the squad. In the rare occasions when this occurs, the entire squad, upon completion of their first battle, is given the blood mark together. Such squads are historically proven to be some of the finest warriors in a legion, as their esprit-de-corp is instilled from the very beginning.

Religion

The pseudo-religion of the order, known among the devotees as ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œworship of deedsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? has proved to be an effective tool in motivating the soldiers to perform above and beyond what is expected. The manifestations of religious tones in the order are most easily visible in the daily routine of its members. Life in the order is much akin to life in a monastery, where profound meaning is prescribed to every highly regimented task. In fact many monastic traditions have been included, if in a modified state, to the routine of the supplicants. One tradition, that of silence, is instilled from the earliest training in the new recruit. Though this is not enforced, the novices take their example from the blooded warriors and usually need not be told. Visitors who have been given the honor of seeing the Legions on Temple are astonished to find out the seemingly meek men and women quietly toiling at tending gardens and mending cloths are warriors who have suffered, and inflicted, every pain the human body can bear. This true image differs greatly from the images promoted by other governments, usually those who have suffered the weight of the orders wrath, who portray the Order as bloodthirsty psychopaths who revel in chaos and murder. The core of Worship of Deeds is the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œCanon of VoidÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, which is the sacred book among the order. Each chapter details the history of a Legion, including every deed its warriors have fulfilled. The beginning of each LegionÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s chapter lists all the warriors of that legion who have been canonized, and hold the rank of ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œSaintÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. The warrior need not have died in order to be canonized, but that is usually the case. Along with their chapter in the Canon of Void, each Legion keeps their own ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œBloodlineÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. This bloodline is the combined DNA samples of every warrior the Legion has canonized. This material is administered as a gene therapy to every warrior who receives the knighthood, truly making all knights of a Legion brothers. Every chapter within the Canon of Void, begins with the first three; Saint Simon, Saint Nicholai, and Saint Otho.

The Ezen System

The Ezen system is composed of two habitable planets, Temple and Steward. The planet Steward is the homeworld of millions, most of which are refugees from the many wars and skirmishes fought in the cold depths of Sapient Space. Peoples from every culture have come together here to create a society where they and their children might prosper under the guiding hand of the order. Steward is ruled by a system of military governors appointed by the high command of the Order. Though this rule is basically a military dictatorship, it is genuinely ambivalent and tries to provide for its citizens happiness and prosperity. The wait for immigrants trying to enter the Ezen system to permenantly settle is months long and the refugee internment camp houses hundreds of thousands of hopeful immigrants. Law enforcement on the planet Steward is handles by a rotating shift of Orders forces, with each Legion being rotated to this duty for a one year stint, before being return to active duty. Commerce is very active on the planet Steward, as merchants of every kind flock to participate in the systems growing economy, though prices for many items are set by the orders overseers to prevent their citizens being taken advantage of. The order applies tariffs to all items imported into the system, though they are generally light and fair. Many industries have manufacturing facilities on Steward for the security they know their facilities will enjoy and construction of such plants usually inspires investor confidence, increasing the companyÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s ICASE stock price. The languages spoken on steward include almost every one known to mankind, though the official language is High Common. Laws on the planet Steward and for Ezen Space are quite heavy handed, requiring all its citizens submit to a modified form of the orders Uniform Code of Military Justice. Basic civil liberties are often neglected when probable cause suggests that a crime has been committed. Though arms are freely owned, even military weapons with a permit, murder and violent crime rates are some of the lowest in Sapient Space, as justice in Ezen is swift and decisive. Criminals found guilty of minor infractions are usually sentenced to monetary fines or work time in the state owned industry, while repeat offenders and felons go to Arx Theta Penal Facility , located in the hollowed out moon orbiting the gas giant Ga Xatel. Murderers and violent criminals and anyone who it is deemed cannot be reformed are simply executed and cremated. This last fate also holds for any potential immigrant found trying to enter Ezen to escape justice in another system. This policy of zero tolerance has kept crime rates throughout steward and the ezen system extremely low. Though robots are permitted into the system on freetraders and merchant ships, they are not allowed to hold citizenship and are recognized by the order only as property. Clones and creatures whos dna was assembled from human stock are welcomed into the system and may freely join the ranks of the order if they meet the rigorous requirements, though many officers and brothers of the order look down on these ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œfalse-humansÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? and regularly make trouble for them. Temple is the home of the orders forces and the shining jewel in the orders crown. Temple is an earthlike planet with an equally diverse biology. The difference lies in the planets gravity. Temple has a common gravity of 1.4g, roughly half again that of earth. A two hundred pound man on earth would weigh three hundred on temple. This characteristic is the centerpiece of the orders training and conditioning program. Diverse biomes, from desert, tropical rainforests, tundra, to temperate woodlands, allows the orders Legions to train in a host of environments. The natural flora and fauna of Temple has also been enhanced with some of the most deadly varieties of plants and animals from the galaxies many worlds, allowing soldiers to train for their encounter while operational. Each Legion occupies its own HQ facility on Temple. These facilities are nearly complete cities to themselves, providing for their soldiers every need.

Industry

The state industry for the Ezen system is ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œSteward Conflict IndustriesÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. SCI is the arms and war materials producer for the OrderÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s forces. Other industries in Ezen are privately run and many off world, multi-national conglomerates have offices and manufacturing facilities here. Even the most unscrupulous companies who have assets here, confine their unscrupulous practices to systems outside Ezen as the order routinely seizes the property of companies they deem guilty of unlawful business practices.

Alliances

The Order routinely serves in a mercenary capacity for other governments in order to give its troops operational experience. This has allowed the Order to establish good relations with most major governments in Sapient Space. The minor governments of the edgeworlds are less than cordial with the Order, as many of the Orders battles have been fought against pirate factions operating in these governments space. The Order has over the years fought with most every other sovereign nation in minor border skirmishes, but this hasnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t generally affected the relations with those nations. The mercenary actions of the Order has at times conflicted with its relations with foreign governments, though these same governments have been known to hire Legions of the Order to fight for them in wars where their enemies used the same Legions in previous battles. The OrderÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s policy of zero tolerance for collateral damage and their unwillingness to attack civilian targets has cost them many contracts for work with unsavory governments.

It is often said that if an interstellar empire could possibly exist, it would be modeled after the ICA. The Interstellar Commerce Authority sprang from humble beginnings, on planet Earth amid the turmoil of the Exodus years. Originally labeled the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œColonial Trade CommissionÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, it was tasked with developing a viable system of Logistics for trade between the TC colonies and Sol. The Early years of the CTC were marked with the usual tales of corruption and mismanagement under the power of a single government, and not until the years surrounding the First Secession War did the ICA come into its own. In 2075 the First Secession ended with the TC government passing the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œColonial Reform ActÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, which set specific conditions and parameters under which TC colonies could gain their independence. The new governments established under this act, most with economies considered shaky at best, desperately sought a means to enact trade with the other nation, many of whom they despised. The system they sought sat right under their nose, in the form of the hundreds of CTC field offices distributed over the many Nations. In 2085, the decision was formalized, and the Systems of New Britain, Alpha Centauri, and the Terran Compact signed the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œTreaty of New GenevaÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. This treaty brought into existence an independent firm recognized by each nation, who would set policy for trade between the worlds of each government. It was decided that the infrastructure of the ICA would be based largely on the already operational CTC though with a near total re-staffing. In the early days of the ICA, the organization was mostly concerned with trade protocol, and a rudimentary system of disseminating this protocol took up most of the time and resources of the firm. Not until 2140, with the birth of the first Tachyon Pulse Data Relay, did the ICA as it is today begin to emerge. The Tachyon Pulse Relay was capable of transmitting a digital signal between stars at hundreds of times the speed of light and brought into being the Datanet, permitting near-realtime communication between the many worlds of Sapient Space. Unknown to most, research for the Tachyon Relay Net was largely funded by the ICA. In 2142 the ICA Stock Exchange opened trading. The organization flourished. By 2145 the ICA had set new policies, which began to take advantage of the autonomy it was granted by the Treaty of New Geneva, and forced the many governments who were now listed on the ICASE to accept the ICA standards of exchange. This new system was most frustrating to the larger system who had been able to bully smaller governments into accepting poor exchange rates under the threat of economic sanctions. This new power was first tested in 2150 when a group of Local ICA officials were captured by the AVL government and accused of Espionage. The ICA response was to suspend all AVL trading rights and within weeks the economy of the AVL was on the verge of collapse. The AVL immediately acquiesced and, for the first time in decades, a major confrontation was diverted without violence. The power of the ICS over its many client systems steadily grew. In 2158 the ICS enacted the Bureau of Standards, charged with creating a set of economic standards amicable to all their client nations. These standards were deemed necessary to account for the differences in weights and measures among the many worlds of the interstellar market. These standards were agreed on by the many client worlds, and by 2160 the new system of weights and measures, as well as a new time standard were adopted. A new Time standard had been one of the factors the ICA had insisted on, based on the opening and closing of the ICASE trading day. The entire system of standard time is based on the Quantum Physics concept of Planck Time, or the time it takes a photon traveling at the speed of light, to cross Planck Length, or 1.6 x 10(-35)m, basically the smallest possible unit of time in existence. The invention of the Photon Clock allowed the standard time to be perfectly accurate. Standard Time is based on Planck Seconds, or perfectly accurate seconds. Under the ICA time standard there are 60 Planck Seconds to a Planck Minute, 60 Planck Minutes to a Planck Hour, and 24 Planck Hours to a Standard Day. The biggest difference between standard time and Terran Mean Time is the allowance in TMT for the rotation of the Earth and adjusting the duration of units of measure so they accurately fit the EarthÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s movement. So that 1 Terran Day may deviate in length while 1 Standard Day does not. Another difference is the Standardized Calendar. The Julian calendar used on Earth to account for excess time in leap years and other phenomenon, are not accounted for on the Standard Calendar, which dictates 360 Standard Days per Standard Year, organized into 12 Standard Months each containing Exactly 30 Standard Days. This means that each Standard Year has 4 equal Fiscal Quarters of 90 days. The Calendar was not the only measurement to be standardized. The ICA set standards for weight and other common measurements, so that when a customer agreed to buy 1 ton of ore, he knew exactly what standard was being used. The most important part of these new standards was the emplacement of the Credit. The ICA Credit has been the most stable unit of currency ever known to man, as the value of the Credit is based on the entire worth of the ICASE itself, and so basically the open market system of the ICASE is fundamentality a closed economy where Credits are bounced around but never really taken out or added to the overall market. This system, though touted at first as an ICA ploy to control the whole of Sapient Space with economic power, has become the basis for the economies of every major nation, as acceptance of the value of the Credit is required for trading privileges on the ICASE. Over the ICAÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s years of service to Sapient Space, its role has diversified though largely remained unchanged. The ICASE is still the most powerful economic power in space. ICA officials have served in every role from arbitrator to mediator between the many client nations of the ICA.

The ICA today

In the treaty of New Geneva specified the lone planet of New Geneva as the sole possession of the ICA. New Geneva, though lush around the G3 star Eta Cassiopei,was a world who had endured several failed colonization attempts by different governments. The Treaty specified that the planet was to be designated for the ICAÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s use and will remain a neutral authority in Sapient Space. New Geneva is the home for the ICA central office as well as the ICA Stock Exchange and the ICA bureau of Standards. The rest of the Eta Cassipoei system has been, in the years since the ICAÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s inception, overrun with corporate interest and colonies eager to be near the hub of finance in Sapient Space. These many corporation and business interests have driven the population of what was once a failed mining colony to 3.5 Billion system wide. The ICA has grown into a major player in Sapient Space, setting policy for hundreds of worlds and affecting every human in Sapient Space one way or another. The Bureau of Standards has become a major institution in its own right. The BoS has expanded its operational range from weights and measures to standards of operation including a system of qualification exams for flight officers aboard starships. These licensing exams are nearly universally accepted by ship owners and employers.

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An independent company often associated with the ICA is the Interstellar News Network, consisting of hundreds of thousands of contributing offices. The INN newswire is the most read publication in sapient space, used as the primary source of news reports by most every major news disseminator on every world. The INN chief bureau is headquartered on ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œRelay 1ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, the orbital data relay station orbiting New Geneva.

Organization

The chief body of the ICA is the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œGrand ForumÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, consisting of eight thousand delegates from the member nations and principal corporations of sapient space. A Board of Directors acts as the governing body of the Grand Forum. The BoD is composed of 15 members elected by a descending percentage of vote by the Forum. The Chairman of the ICA heads the Board. The Board is responsible for all policy decisions within the charter of the ICA and sets policy for the Bureau of Standards as well as the ICASE. The Bureau of Standards, or ICABS, is headed by a committee chairman, appointed by the ICA BoD. The ICA acts merely as an overseer for the ICASE and does not regulate the price of stocks or the value of the credit in the interstellar market, only setting policy for trading standards and practices. The oversight of the many member nations has made the ICA mostly free from the corruption prevalent in the many other governments in sapient space.

The Eta Cassiopei System

Eta Cassiopei is a multiple star system consisting of, Eta Cassiopei A and B which are G3 and K7 main sequence stars respectively. The planet New Geneva orbits the star Eta Cassiopei A. New Geneva is a lush world covered in sprawling mega-cities, housing the majority of the worldÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s more than two and a half billion citizens, mostly corporate wage-slaves and bureaucrats and the economic elite. The capitol of New Geneva is Primera, which boasts a population of over four hundred million and is the seat of the ICA and all its bureaus. Other major population centers in the Eta Cassiopei system include Eosxintur Tau, and Claspffistraint and Avita Omicron orbiting the gas giant Deverrim orbiting Eta A , as well as Po Glagede and the Ofgatezta asteroid belt operations in the Eta B system.

A man calls the PCs to meet him at Lvl 9 Low Atmosphere(called Lo At by the inhabitants) on gateway station, orbiting the planet NovaTerra in the Alpha Centauri 1 system about a job. The PCÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s meet him at a sleezy strip club called ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œdeuces wildÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? in a green sector. The place smells of bo and barbque, the drinks are high priced and watered down, various rodents and insects cross the floor between piles of garbage and what looks and smells like a couple of human bodies. The man is sitting at the stage drinking heavily. His name is Joseph Alverez. Joe has the build of a manual laborer, and talks like hes never seen a place like Gateway. He says he has a load of cargo that needs a vessel, and that the shipment must reach its destination as soon as possible. He is willing to give the PCs an advance if they take the mission. The cargo isnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t on the station, but a vessel will meet the PCs 2 lys out on the trade lane to Wolf 359 for the transfer. The cargo will be taken to the LHS 292 system and a ship will meet them at the Jump Point. There the balance of the payment will be made. The job pays 40K CR with a 10K advance upon contract.

The shipment is a load of arms Joe was sent to procure for the growing resistance movement on the Tranquility Mining Colony. 12 years ago the fledgling mining company Metracorp made a discovery in the, then unexplored, LHS 292 system on the planet Tranquility. The initial core samples showed the planet to the heavily laden with the element 115, an element whose existence was thought impossible because of its complex yet stable atomic structure. Theory has long held that element 115, if it could be produced in great quantities, would be the universes most perfect source for fusion, since the atom is stable it produces no by products and is not radioactive. The company set up the Tranquility mining colony and moved in a labor force of 650,000 miners and their families. The company had little money to pay the huge overhead of supporting this labor base, and so started raising prices on the goods they imported for the workers until they had a closed economy where the cost at the company store kept the underpaid miners permanently in debt, and unable to escape their quasi-slavery.

Four years ago, a resistance group formed to combat the deplorable working condition and the exorbitant prices charged in the company stores which kept workers a slave to the corporation. The violence started in the number 12 mine where several men, masked in meal bags, beat a shift supervisor, known for his mistreatment of workers, to death with iron bars. This set off a chain reaction of violence between the workers and management. Metracorp responded by hiring a small company of mercenaries to keep the peace on tranquility. These men were divided among the 14 mine operations and given the title of sheriff, charged with keeping the peace in the community. The brutality of these ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œsheriffsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? and their deputies , for the most part , quelled the uprising. A small band of resistance still operated within the operation, sabotaging equipment, destroying ore and generally causing a problem for the management. The group calls themselves the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œMolly MacGuiresÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? after the broken earth labor movement in the coal mining towns in the North East coast of America.

The Mollies have stolen a cargo shuttle and plan to meet the PCs at the zenith jump point to receive the shipment of arms. The Corporation has few space born assets and mostly leaves system security to the mercenary company calling itself the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œTranquility Peace ForceÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? The TPF has 3 vessels in the system, though these are ancient merchant ships used to transport the company into the system and are now relegated to light patrol vessels.

The TPF has intercepted the Molly shuttle and is engaging it with a single ship when the PCs arrive , the mollies ask for assistance and when the fight is over the molly ship is destroyed. The mollies ask the PCs to return them to a molly base, a played out mine with a working orbital receiving bay powered by bootleg energy molly technicians are stealing from the company. The group offers the PCs a share in the loot (a planet full of element 115) to help them defeat the TPF and stop the shipment of 115 to the corporation ship coming in a couple weeks. This delay would bankrupt the corporation who have mortgaged themselves to the bone and gotten most of their capitol on speculation of the first loads of 115 producing ore. This would leave the planet to the miners who could then use the ore to start a rich and prosperous colony of their own control.

Little do either the Mollies or the Corporation know that the core samples were erroneous, and that in actuality the veins of ore are all but played out. The management on the planet are stalling, trying to keep the parent corporation from finding out so that they can start a few new tunnels where they think a mother lode awaits. The TPF have come to enjoy the work they do and will resist any change the corp might suggest and they know the truth of the operation but want their cushy contract to continue. The management is under pressure to deliver the first load of ore in a few weeks, and are already reaching the limits of the operations output.

ENCOUNTER 1: On entering the Wolf 359 jump point, a small vessel is transmitting a general distress call. If the PCs approach and attempt to hail the vessel, 2 fighters come in from the asteroid ring of a nearby planet and attack. The larger pirate vessel is out of fuel and the 2 small fighters are nearly out. The two fighters run if it looks as if they will be destroyed, and hide in a nearby asteroid field. The large ship is nearly helpless. It doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t have the fuel for its STL drive and is running on batteries for its shields and weapons. The ships has many salvageable parts.

(?)ENCOUNTER 2: A TC patrol stops the PCs on their way out of the Al Cent system , they are detained as smugglers. The court appointed attorney tells the PCs that for 20K CR , he can roll over on some other guys and get them set free. If they try to escape they will have to kill a few guards and make their way to the ship awaiting transport to the impound.

ENCOUNTER 3: The ship is stopped by a large warship ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œThe HessianÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? and three escort ships of the AVL navy. The ships send a hail, and the AVL demands they prepare to be boarded. The AVL ships are looking for a ship carrying refugees from Kroneheim. If the PCs resist being boarded the AVL ships will immediately power up weapons and prepare to take them by force. When the ship is finally boarded, and they donÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t find what they are looking for they simple say ok and in an instant the task force warps out.

ENCOUNTER 4: in the trade lane between Wolf and LHS, the wreckage of a ship is scattered for a couple thousand kilometers. The ship was obviously attacked and destroyed by pirates. In the wreckage the PCs find a small laser, and a bouy, almost wrecked. If they take the time to collect it they could fill up their hold with scrap metal. A fuel tank is loaded with .2 tons of deuterium.

The cargo is composed of (400) AVL G94 Assault rifles and 50,000 rounds of ammo as well as 70 kilos of B19 explosives in binary form. Other assorted arms include (4) PMG12 Light machineguns and 30,000 rnds. (12) handguns are all P18s and 1000rnds of ammo. The shipment also contains 2 tons of nutricell and water condensers, as well as assorted small consumer goods (radios, porn mags, snack cakes, small battery cells). The shipment weighs 4 tons.

Soft Suit This lightweight suit is the prized possession of anyone who makes a habit of working in a vacuum. These suits are made from several layers of different fabric each with qualities ranging from making the suit puncture resistant to allowing the suit to be pressurized with 1 atmosphere. The hood, which is attached by means of a type of enviro-sealant Velcro, is also made of this cloth and can be pulled back when not in use. Oxygen is stored and produced in micro-pockets woven into the suits lining where a strain of life supporting bacteria is housed, which release their air as CO2 levels rise, while other strains of bacteria eat CO2 creating heat. The entire ensemble weighs less than 12 lbs and is manufactured in every size. The suit carries enough life support for 4 days with its small Bactry Suite. Soft Suits also have attachment points for a Maneuver pack and numerous points and pockets for gear.

Data Sheet These small immensely useful devices have become the most prolific technology since the invention of the computer, with new application arising daily. The data film material is a thin flexible polymer with imbedded optical fibers. Each fiber can not only display a single pixel but sense pressure on its surface. This allows the datafilm to not only display data but also to act as a configurable keypad. The most highly used form adds a small processor with a modem. This allows the datasheet to act as an independent personal data assistant or to network with a more powerful computer and act as a I/O device for that system. Data film is also flexible allowing it to be folded or rolled up for storage. Data film is also flame retardant and can resist temperature changes in the range of -300C to +220C. A data sheet is a bit different than data film material as a data sheet has an integral processor, where data film must be linked to a processor for what ever function it serves. A Datasheet gives a +1 to computer use skills and can control devices across a network with up to 5 skill ranks,

HUD Another data device gaining popularity is the HUD or Heads Up Display. The HUD is basically a rudimentary virtual reality immersion device which can generate 3D images and overlay them on the wearerÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s field of vision. This allows the wearer to see information on a real world object displayed in a surface overlay. Another useful tool in the HUD system is the eye-pointer. By scanning the wearerÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s eye position, the HUD device can interpret eye movement and blinks as a point and click input tool. The wearer simply looks into the far right corner of his field of vision to pick up the pointer, this pointer moves across the HUDÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s display with the wearerÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s eye movement. A rapid double blink manipulates the selected data, and looking again in the original pointer position puts it back into idle mode. Applications for this device include, opening a network connection with another hud wearer or computer user and allowing others to see the wearers point of view, displaying a 3 Dimensional image in space which can be viewed by anyone wearing a HUD device and on the same network, or even creating a virtual keyboard and using it to input data. Military applications include networking with firmware aboard a weapon to display a targeting reticule of where the weapon will fire, as well as sending and receiving data and POV images. The uses are nearly limitless. A HUD device is a pair of clear poly carbonate glasses with a layer of Data Film laminated onto its surface. The devices imbedded processor is located in a small bubble attached to the ends of the arms of the glasses, and house the miniature electronics and wireless modem. The outside of the HUD is also covered with datafilm and can be used to display any datum or pattern the device has stored. Standard HUD devices add +3 to any computer use check while being used, and can control devices remotely over a network with up to 5 ranks of skill.

Omni-Putty Another gadget with endless uses is a substance known as Omni-Putty. When in its inert state Omni-Putty appear to be nothing more than a dense polymer clay, which can be shaped by the user into any form its mass will allow. When the activator device is touched to the substance, the putty instantly hardens to an extremely dense polymer with a tensile strength similar to titanium, but with the same overall mass and weight as the inert putty, another touch of the coin converts the substance back to malleable inert form. Some examples of uses for Omni-Putty include: fashioning makeshift tools which can be easily modified for the task at hand, fashioning expedient piercing weapons, and expedient patches for structural panels in vehicles. Omni-putty adds a +2 for any check which could benefit from a simple tool. Omni-Putty has a Hardness of 3 and 5 hit points and can hold 600lbs for every inch of thickness. The Activator for Omni putty resembles a small coin about 1 inch across. The putty and the activator are sold separately. Omni-putty is sold in .25lb blocks.

IW Canteen IW , or Instant Water, Canteens have been around for a couple of decades. The premise of the technology is to condense and purify moisture from the surrounding air into potable water. So long as the canteen is in an earthlike environment, the canteen will fill itself in about 30 minutes. The speed it refills is dependent on the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. More expensive models include an internal heater which can keep the water above freezing in most environments

Cable Gun This piece of equipment is most useful to workers in a Zero-G environment. The premise of the tool is to project an anchor to an object in order to pull it in or to pull the user to it. A cable guns controls allow the user to detach the magnetic anchor, and reel the anchor in. A cable guns wire has a tensile strength of 1ton.

Bolt Gun Another tool often employed by Zero-G technicians, a bolt gun fires a small metal rivet for securing metal plates. This can be used for patching a ships hull, or securing a device to a floor, or even as a expedient weapon in a pinch, though its range in an atmosphere is often lacking. Bolt racks come linked and ready to use in 8 rnd units, and are usually around 5CR per rack

Plasma Welder/Torch This small tool consists of a handle fitted with a heating nose which is capable of generating enormous amounts of heat. The tool can be used to either cut or weld and can cut through 1 inch of hardened steel per second. The internal battery can generate heat for 10 minutes before it needs to recharge.

Nutri-cell This item, first designed in the late 22rd century, was hailed as the answer to the problems many nations faced in feeding its masses. The substance is derived from a strain of algae which has been designed to provide 100% of the human bodies daily nutritional requirements. The substance can be cheaply and easily cultured in a hydroponics system and has become the staple of almost every major nation in Sapient Space. The substance resembles pureed oatmeal in texture and consistency, and has little taste, earning it the affectionate name of ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œGoopÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? among those forced to eat it unflavored. This characteristic has naturally lead to the development of thousands of flavor additives which can, which the right combinations, make the substance approximate the flavor of nearly any cuisine. Nutri-cell costs on average .5CR per meal unflavored, multiplying this cost for the level of taste and appearance in which it is prepared.

Bactry Suite This system is a composition of different strains of engineered bacteria which can be used as an alternative to mechanical air scrubbers and waste reclamation systems. When properly monitored and maintained the Bactry Suite can create a self-sustaining biosphere, with 100% possible efficiency in reclaiming oxygen and water from human waste. Bactry Suites are often used in space based stations and some ships as the principle life-support system as it needs little power to maintain. A Bactry Suite uses Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¼ the power of a mechanical life-support system but requires 3 times the space. This system costs 40% less than a mechanical life-support system of equivalent size

Beta Aspercillium B Asp is a type of engineered mold designed to create breathable air in an emergency. B Asp has several design characteristics which make it quite suitable to this function. When B Asp spores are exposed to ultraviolet rays they begin to grow at an exponential rate, covering roughly 1sq meter per hour. 10 sq meters of B Asp can recycle enough air to keep 1 human sized creature alive. This growth will continue as long as the organism is exposed to UV. The mold can instantly be killed by high levels of IR. This organism is usually only used in emergencies where all other life-support systems have failed, as long term exposure to the mold can cause respiratory damage from breathing the spores. Every day exposed to B Asp roll a fort save DC15, if failed lose 1hp permanently. Beta Aspercillium spores generally sell for 10CR

The science of Genetics has advanced hand in hand with mankindÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s understanding of the universe and space-time. The once limited field has evolved into a myriad of acutely specialized studies of biology. The many sciences of bio-engineering today more resemble a technical profession than a medical science. The research over the last three centuries has paid off in dividends with a wide spectrum of applications, ranging from understanding and manipulating the complicated human genome to building task specific organisms from scratch, as well as the manipulation and replication of the diverse organisms of the plant and animal kingdoms. The three major fields of study are Genomic Mechanics, Bio-Engineering, and Cloning, though each of these fields interact closely.

GENOMIC MECHANICS

Genomic Mechanics is the study of the very building blocks of an organic entity, applied in much the same manner as a computer specialist would write code for a computer application. The tens of thousands of genes present in DNA are all subject to alteration and replacement allowing the specialist to imbue the base organism with qualities not present in the control subject, and able to be passed on to subsequent generations. This is a powerful science which has been exploited for both good and evil alike by the many governments of Sapient Space.

Gene Therapy

The process of gene therapy allows the specialist to inject a designer retrovirus imbued with the changes to the subjectÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s genetic code into the potential end user. This is a slow tedious process, which can potentially cause more harm than good if employed by an unskilled technician. If successful, the specialist may add a quality to the organism which it didnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t previously possess.

Leonetics

One of the most highly invasive, and lucrative, aspects of modern Genomic Mechanics is the science of Leonetics. Leonetics, named for Ponce de Leon, the Spainard who sought the fountain of youth, allows a technician to administer a regimin of gene therapy to lengthen the lifespan of a human by upwards of 250%. This process is done by fostering the growth of new cells and higher cell energy, allowing the body to prevent the breakdown of cellular function, thereby reversing the aging process.

The Created

An offshoot project of Genomic Mechanics was started in the early part of the 22nd century as ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œProject CompanionÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? by the government of the Terran Compact. The project was aimed at creating a genetically engineered creature with certain desirable traits who could assist in the construction of new colonies in environments which could be potentially harmful to human workers. The technical requirements of the projects meant that the creatures must be sentient and self-aware, with an intellect comparable to humans in terms of fact retention, learning curve, and problem solving skills. Naturally the first source of genetic material was human, but the public outcry over the abominations produced in the early stages of the project forced the scientists to other routes of achieving their goals. It was determined that instead of human DNA as a source of genetic material; it was more ethically desirable to modify a variant of animals for many tasks. This led to the first of the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œCreatedÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? species. These animals were imbued with human traits which augmented the natural characteristics of their own base species, including human intelligence, an upright posture, and opposable thumbs. Breakthroughs in genetics allowed these creatures to bear healthy offspring. An inherent factor of the genetic makeup of Created species is their short gestation period and lifespan, usually little more than the lifespan of the base creature. The ethical dilemma of ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œplaying GodÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, as the Terran media so succinctly put it, plagued the project from the beginning. The years of faithful service was forgotten, and 30 years after the program began it was officially terminated, along with nearly 28,000 intelligent, created beings. Many more created creatures escaped into the cold reaches of space to live and multiply on the newly liberated worlds of Free Space. Today, the progeny of the many surviving creatures created under ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œProject CompanionÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? thrive in their new homes, and in many systems are accepted, along with the other emergent subraces of humanity, according to their deeds and not because of their genetic makeup, though this isnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t the norm. Most humans hate and fear the Created as abominations and many extremist groups have formed over the years with the sole purpose of eliminating them from existence. These groups often target the Created who, by means of their abundance of human DNA in their genetic makeup, have intermarried or produced offspring with humans. These human-Created hybrids are easily identified as other than human by a discerning eye.

CLONING

The science behind cloning is basic knowledge to current genetics, though the actual process of cloning is a complicated mix of donor selection and genetic refinement. Cloning as a science relies heavily on the other studies in the Genetic Engineering field to create the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œidealÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? human condition. These better humans were first employed as a slave labor force created for a specific purpose by many corporations in the early days of the Exodus from Earth. Most governments of today have a whole series of laws dedicated to defining the rights of the human subspecies, including clones, created, and robots. Though the production of cloned humans is outlawed in most ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œprogressiveÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? societies, many governments still practice cloning as a means of creating a task specific work force to supplement foreseen future deficiencies in certain areas of their labor pool. These manufactured workers often have little rights in such societies, and live their lives under brutal working conditions in deplorable squalor. Many governments, such as the AVL, create batches of hundreds of thousands of such clones and employ them in all manners of fields from the military to industry. Clones lucky enough to escape bondage find themselves shunned and rejected by many groups who view them in the same light as the created, as little more than beasts created to serve humanity. The lucky few, who make their way to a friendly system, find their genetic disposition a benefit and easily find gainful employment in their predestined fields. All clones share several traits, programmed into their genetic code at the time of their conception. All clones are created with a specific function in mind. Because of their cost to ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œmanufactureÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, and the fact clones mature at the same rate as normal humans, clones are genetically engineered to fill some deficiency in the creatorÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s workforce. This can vary from soldiers to technicians to manual laborers. All clones bear some mark denoting their creation. The Tag is a common marker added to a newly created clone, where the cells on a specific part of the body, usually on the face or neck are programmed to produce a darker pigment in certain patterns. These patterns, basically a birthmark, are often the clones serial number or a barcode which can be scanned. The nature of these tags means they cannot be permanently removed without extensive surgery, and will often still reappear in a matter of years. Other tags often include strands of exotic fibers woven into the clones bone material, and genetic markers plainly visible with a simple medical exam. All clones are sterile. This is a by-product of the manufactured nature of their DNA. The assembly of certain gene traits into the desired physical characteristics means irrevocable damage to many of the clones basic body functions. This is often thought of as a safety precaution to the proliferation of a new species of humanity. Because of the conditioning clones endure form birth and their modified neuro-chemistry, every clone possesses some degree of psychological abnormality, ranging from mild obsessive-compulsive disorder to full paranoid-schizophrenia, a trait three centuries of genetic research has yet to eliminate.

BIO-ENGINEERING

Bio-engineers are an indispensable trade in Sapient Space. The science of bio-engineering is multi-faceted and impacts a host of other fields including medicine, manufacturing, engineering and others. Bio-Engineering can be defined as design and production of biological organisms for a specific predetermined purpose. The range of applications and number of subfields in this area are near infinite. Bio-Engineered products can range from designer organs specially designed to give the human body new functions, to strains of bacteria which can breakdown waste and produce breathable air. One of the major breakthroughs to come from the Bio-Engineering Field is Nutri-Cell, a strain of algae which contains one hundred percent of the human bodies needed vitamins and nutrients per serving. Nutri-cell has all but eliminated hunger on worlds capable of producing it, and can be flavored to taste like almost any other food. These are but a few of the thousands of Bio-engineered products each with their own field of specialist and experts. These engineered organisms are commonly referred to as Helix-Machines. Some of the benefit of using an organism over a inert manufactured item are; the helix machine can be designed in such a way as to feed on waste material produced by organisms it lives in proximity to, thereby creating a symbiotic relationship with the other. The helix machine can be healed of damage done to it. Helix machines require no external source of electrical power. The greatest majority of helix machines are engineered micro-organisms used in life support roles, though larger helix machines are used for all manner of device and weapon. Helix machines are created in a huge culturing facility, similar to labs where clones are created, where they are grown from engineered cultures. The time needed to produce a helix machine can range from a few days to years to grow the machine to full operational capacity.

Sample Helix Machine

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œChirpÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? The term ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œchirpÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? applies to any helix machine which is designed to detect a certain condition. These small devices can be produced to detect the strength and source of any target condition, be it IR, radiation, or atmospheric conditions. They derive their name from the beep or chirp made by the organism when in the presence of the target condition. Chirps are normally designed to feed on small organisms present in the environment. A simple chirp can be had for as little 3CR, while chirps which detect more complicated conditions can cost upwards of 100CR

The term ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œThinking MachineÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? refers to all manner of device with some level of automation. Though not all these devices can actually think, in the classic sense, they all exhibit some level of autonomous control over their own functions. The key to the technology of the 24th century is the basic automation programming stored in almost all devices. This automation is to the thinking machine what DNA is to the human, and is where such machines derive their usefulness and their flexibility.

TYPES

Though an almost infinite number of devices can be fitted with some level of automation, several broad categories make up the bulk of what are considered thinking machines. These few categories are the systems most capable of autonomous thought by means of the highly sophisticated automation which controls their behavior. The main categories of thinking machines are; Robots, Drones, Systems, and Logics. Each of these types of devices may vary in appearance and are classified by their level of automation and the function they fill. This Document is principle concerned with the Robot and Drone class of thinking machines, as the Systems and Logics are covered in depth in other Documents.

Robots

Robots are considered to be any construct with a high level of automation, and designed to fulfill multiple applications. A robotÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s appearance may take on any form but are usually designed with a human body layout so that the robot may use item designed for human use, thus increasing their flexibility and usefulness and taking advantage of their higher thought capacity. Robots are generally the most useful, and expensive, of the thinking machines because of the complexity of their construction and the many roles they fulfill in society. Most higher societies have a number of laws governing the rights of thinking machines capable of complex thought, and though most make allowances for machines which have exhibited a level of reasoning and sophistication which is similar to a humans, many systems still view robots as merely property and ignore the questions of consciousness and self-awareness. Robots are classified as such because they posses the highest level of automation, regardless of their appearance or body type, though all robots are a self contained units capable of movement and action.

Drones

Drones are classified as such as they are of a lower level of automation than robots though they are still a self-contained unit. Drones are often created to serve a single purpose, or for less flexible roles than robots. While a robot can serve in combat and also possess skills necessary to be a competent technician, Drones , though they have the exact same chassis, will be limited to serving in only one capacity because of their lower level of automation and understanding. A drone may be anything from a servant, to a laborer, to a mobile gun mount, and may resemble a biological organism or look like only a machine. One type of drone in particular is the used often aboard a starship, this is the Buoy. Buoys are drones which have a mobility system allowing them to move about in space and perform any number of actions, depending on their configuration.

Systems

Systems are defined as any large computing device which controls or monitors many smaller devices. This usually refers to large computer cores responsible for the operation of installations or vehicles. Systems may have any level of automation the designer feels necessary to control the items the system is responsible for. A defining characteristic of a system is its size and the fact that its only mobility is the systems it carries. Systems are rarely ever considered more than a piece of equipment regardless of their level of self-awareness or personality because of the inhuman nature of their construction.

Logics

Logics ,also called smart code, are intelligences composed purely of software. These intelligent programs can be complex or simple depending upon their application but may be imbedded into almost any electronic device. A logic may be used for any number of items and vastly increases the usefulness of the item they control. Logics are the most prolific type of automation in use in the 24th century and advanced miniaturization has equipped almost every device with some degree of logic automation, giving the device a flexibility not available to machines without it. An example of the usefulness of a logic, if one were to add smart code to the driver software of a weapons turret, the turret, depending on the level of automation, may be able to aim and fire itself , or return fire if the vehicles crew is disabled.

SYSTEM AUTOMATION

The level of automation a device possesses is defined by their operating system. This complex program defines the level of thought the device is capable of and can range from a simple system of programmable computer language to an advanced full artificial intelligence capable of reason and an understanding of moral consequence as well as other human personality traits. The four levels of automation are Basic Automation, Simple Logic, Autonomous Thought, and Artificial Intelligence.

Basic Automation

This is a most basic type of operating system. All commands must be specific, and the system relies heavily on the user for instruction and decision making. Basic operating systems allow only the most basic of applications. Basic Automation is most often used as firmware imbedded into an electronic device to define the devices operation, though this firmware may be edited with new commands to allow for greater functionality. Thinking machines with a basic level of automation are the least useful, as they have no decision making power and cannot act autonomously, and have a limited range of function.

Simple Logic

This type of operating system is capable of more advanced actions than a basic OS , but not much. This OS may compile data accumulated by its sensors and act upon set perimeters. These perimeters must be very specific and if the situation dictates a decision which lies outside the perimeters of the machines programming the computer will take no further action. Simple Logics are very useful in specific applications, and can initiate action within their set parameters though they lack the capacity for abstract thought or the ability to learn.

Autonomous Thought

This type of operating system, sometimes called ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œlower AIÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, represents the first steps of a computer to learn and understand. Lower AI computers are capable of learning from past experiences and applying that information to the current situation. A lower AI system is capable of initiating action if so programmed. The computer will apply any past experiences to required decisions, but will only choose the option which is statistically most probable of accomplishing the task at hand. AT systems are extremely useful automation suites when added to equipment as it allows the device to apply a degree of abstract reason to the problem at hand. Drones are most often equipped with AT level automation, allowing them to respond to stimuli from their environment and act accordingly.

Artificial Intelligence

The creation of the first artificially intelligent machines sparked a hotbed of debate about the creation of ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œlifeÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. These same debates continue today, but whatever the answers, the birth of AI cannot be ignored or un-invented. The most sophisticated systems available, machines with artificial intelligence are capable of expressing all the emotion and creativity of a human. The will initiate actions at will to accomplish their goals and are capable of making plans far in advance of current tasks. AI level automation is the defining difference between Robots and Drones. Devices equipped with AI are fully capable of exhibiting all the emotions and personality traits of a human, as well as applying past experiences to problems at hand. AI level automation is also the most costly to produce and so is only added to devices which absolutely require it, in situations where it is worth the risk of the device developing it own will. The Legal question of the rights of AI equipped devices differs from nation to nation, though most make some allowances for AI equipped mobile devices to apply for self-ownership once they have worked long enough to pay for their production and maintenance.

Powered Battle Armor is a common sight on the battlefields of 2320. Much like the full plate armor of the middle ages, the highly prized armor of today is worth its weight in gold. Just as in the Middle Ages, a suit of armor sets the wearer apart as the elite of the battlefield. The enormous cost of outfitting an entire unit with powered armor makes the practice prohibitive, and the equal price of possibly losing the armor as a prize to the enemy and having it used against you in a later conflict is a decisive factor in only issuing it to the most elite forces, who will make the most use of it. There are many styles of powered armor, but under the aesthetics most suits of armor have basically the same qualities.- A fully sealed environment, encasing the wearer and providing an artificial life support system including: breathable air, waste removal and recycling, and pressure regulators making the suit deep sea and space capable.- A varying level of strength augmentation, making the user capable of greater feats of strength than otherwise possible.- On-board computing systems provide targeting and display data about the environment and surroundings as well as control all the suits functions.- Cyber connectivity makes the suit function as if it and its attachments were a natural appendage. A character implanted with a spinal interface may take advantage of all the suits features without penalty. The Armors appendages movements are synchronized with the movements of the wearer.- An exoskeleton design means the armor supports its own weight, so as not to encumber the wearer.- Integral comfort systems provide for heating and cooling, and varying densities of injected foam insulate the user from chaffing and discomfort by molding to the body of the user, allowing a user to wear the armor for days at a stretch. A suit of armor can rapidly conform to a new user by remolding this insulation to the new userÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s body. - Communications are permitted by a suite of onboard systems providing voice, text, and image transmission on the heads up display. Comm range can vary from model to model but usually permit reception at a few mile range , or more if satcomm or signal redirectors are used.- Most importantly, suits are covered in dense armor providing protection from a vast array of weapons.

These many qualities, coupled with a host of integral weapons available on many models or retrofitted onto older models, make a suit of powered armor a force multiplier, making even a lone soldier equipped with one worth many times his number of conventional soldiers. Because of the extreme complexity of a suits many systems, the production of powered armor is very limited. This and its high demand make any suit of powered armor a sought after commodity. A cottage industry of refurbishers and makers of aftermarket parts keep even aging suits in demand. It also adds to the wearer an air of respect and even fear.

Though this suit was one of the first of its kind to enter the market nearly 60 years ago, the masterful design of the Battleskin series makes it easily upgradeable, and its quality of manufacture has been proven in almost every major engagement since its initial production. Any technician attempting to upgrade this armor gains a +2 circumstance bonus to his check.

This suit is an upgrade of the original, highly successful Battleskin series of Armor. Though the basic design is the same several new updated features have been added to better keep with the technology curve, including a more advanced sensor suite and a dedicated limited AI targeting program. Any technician attempting to upgrade this armor gains a +2 circumstance bonus to his check.

The Power Maile series of Armor was designed to compete with the HSU Battleskin series of economy armor. The M616 version of the Armor offers an advanced targeting system in an economy package, as well as the use of advance ceramics for better protection against penetration and spawling.

Though they are rarely found for sale, these excellently produced units are the standard issue to soldiers of the order of the void. These suits, produced by the voids war industries, are only manufactured when the issued stock reaches its maximum repairable lifespan and strategic reserves fall low. Because the order wishes to limit ownership of these units to only member of the order itself, it does not allow any overruns or produce units for sell on the open market, though some suits do find their way to the used market by whatever means. Because of the quality of manufacture any repair check to repair this unit gains a +2 circumstance bonus.

The Panzer Kraft, or ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œEnergy ArmorÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, is the main series of power armor in production at the waffen fabric plant for the Kroneheim military in the Gandis system. The Kreiger upgrade offers a strengthened exoskeleton and advanced sensor array package over previous upgrades.

Stop putting my incoherent ramblings to shame!Actually, keep putting them to shame. I've been busy with work, so I haven't been able to get much done, but it's nice to know you're working on something in a similar vein.

Well, I don't think it really qualifies as "hard" scifi, as hard scifi is science fiction conforming more or less strictly to well-understood scientific principles. But you give the appearance of hard scifi by putting in sensical and logical scientific explanations, and that's all I really need.

Ive tried to base any pseudo-science inventions on some research actually going on today. Ive also tried really hard for everything to "make sense", in that certains causes have specific effects which lead to further effects.

Please note: though ive been steralizing previous documents of references to the D20 system, ive left this one with D20 stats, because i dont feel it would make very much sense otherwise, if anyone is offended let me know and ill delete it

2320 BodyWare and Augmentation

Surgical augmentation has advanced in the 24nd century. It is now common place for one to undergo elective surgeries for a myriad of human upgrades, including Cybernetic, Biometric, Chemical / Nanotech Therapy, colloquially known as CheNanTh(Kee-nanth), and gene therapy to augment the human body or make it function in new or useful ways. BodyWare is the catch-all name for these human upgrades. A character may undergo a number of these elective surgeries to increase their performance. Implant Quality Every implant has a quality of manufacture from 1 to 5. This affects its cost, its performance, its size and how prone it is to failure under stress. Cybernetics and CheNanTh implants may be bought in qualities ranging from 1 to 5 , though some implants may only be available in a certain quality level. Biometric implants are organic upgrades grown in a lab from the characters own DNA to insure compatibility and can only be purchased at quality 5; these implants are more costly but cause less stress on the characters system. Cybernetic enhancements of quality level 1 are easily detectable as they are the largest and most surgery intensive .Quality level 5 implants are nearly undetectable without a medical exam. Levels 2 through 4 may be bought as a low profile implant at +50% their original cost.

CyberneticsThese are metal and plastic implants designed to upgrade the body of an organism to work at peak efficiency or in new ways all together.

Skull Jack This device is implanted into a characters skull and acts as a translator from machine language to neural impulses , allowing the user to establish a direct neural interface with any device he is plugged into . A skull jack grants a +1/quality bonus to use any device the user is plugged into. Cost:500CRxquality Bio: .5/quality

Logistics Processor This processor is wired into the brains calculating centers allows faster computations of large number groups .This implant grants a +1/quality bonus to any math based skill check. Cost:1200CRxquality Bio: .2/quality

Balancer This small device is added to the inner ear to stabilize the small bones and fluids which establish the bodies up-down reference, rendering the user immune to the effects of zero-g disorientation .Only quality 1 available. Cost:1500CR Bio: .2

Cranial Hard Drive A character equipped with this device may store an amount of raw data. If also equipped with a skull jack or astral modem, the data may be altered or new data uploaded. A character may store a number of documents equal to 10 times the quality of the device , or half that if the electronic documents are encrypted. A user may also store reference data in a Cranial HD, a character may store up to the devices quality rating in skill points to a particular skill or several skills, though the type of data and the skill it would give the bonus to must be determined when the data is uploaded into the users device Cost: 3000CRxquality Bio: 1/quality

Pituitary Regulator This device is implanted on the users pituitary gland and regulated hormone levels, when activated this device gives shorts bursts of speed and strength as the bodies adrenalin levels peak. This implant may be activated 3x per day and grants the user +3str and x7 base speed for 1d6 rounds. If the regulator is used more than 3 times in a 24 hour period there is a cumulative 10% chance the device will fail and the character will lose 1d6 con points for 10 turns. Only quality 3 available. Cost:4000CR Bio: .6

Sense Editor This implant is hardwired into the pain and tactile centers of the brain allowing the user to effectively edit his sense of pain, heat, cold, etc. allowing him to continue after his body has suffered immense damage and preventing shock. The sense editor doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t prevent damage but will negate any penalties and continue to function until he is actually dead (normally -10). Only quality 3 available. Cost:4200CR Bio: .5

Cranial Modem This implant acts as a wireless skull jack with a range of 3 meters x its quality rating Cost:1000xquality Bio:1/quality

Tactical Processor This implant when implanted in the visual cortex improves balance and hand-eye coordination improving aimed fire with hand held weapons against targets within line-of-sight. User equipped with this implant gain a +1 to their ranged to-hit per quality level of the implant. Cost:4000CRxquality Bio:2/quality

Lymphatic Plasma Filter A small filter attached to the lymph system along the thoracic duct filters the flow of lymphocytes through low temperature plasma removing foreign particles and bacteria and allowing the body to better fight infection and disease. A character equipped with a lymphatic filter gains a +1xquality fortitude save bonus against disease, bacteria, and poisons. Cost:1200CRxquality Bio: .5/quality

Cyber Eyes These replacement eyes, available in a range of colors, work at more than optimal level of human eyes and are available with a number of options. Cyber eyes may be equipped with its quality rating in options. Cyber eyes give the user a +1xquality bonus to their spot check. Cost:1000CRxquality Bio:all qualities .4

IR vision this option allows the user to see in the infrared spectrum, allowing him to see through smoke and fog . This option grants the user IR vision. Cost:800CR

Enhanced Nightvision this option allows the user to see in near total darkness. This option grants the user Darkvision. Cost:700CR

Flare Compensation this option dilates the eye during burst of strong light protecting the user from being stunned or temporarily blinded. This option makes the user immune to blindness or stun effects from attacks involving light. Cost:600CR

Parabolic Lenses This option allows the user to see at a range up to 5x that of an average human. Lenses effectively double the range increment of a personal weapon. Weapons equipped with their own telescopic sight do not gain this bonus as it renders both ineffective. Cost:500CR

HUD The HUD option, or heads up display, allows the user to display information directly on his retinas, so that he doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t require a monitor to review pictures or data.

Cyber Hearing this option replaces the ear drum and fine auditory bones of the inner ear with a miniature microphone, allowing the recipient to more clearly distinguish minute levels of tone and pitch. This implant also increases the hearing range of the recipient by 2x the average human. Cyber hearing may be equipped with its quality rating in options. Cyber hearing gives the user a +1xquality bonus to their listen check. Cost:1000CR Bio: all qualities .5

Noise Compensation This option dampens possibly damaging high decibel sounds. This option makes the user immune to high frequency sound based attacks or damage.Cost:500CR

Noise Filter This option allows the recipient to filter out all background noise except the tone and pitch desired, allowing them to, for instance, hear a single voice in a crowded room. This option negates any listen check penalties due to ambient noise.Cost:400CR

Broadcast receiver This option adds a miniature receiver to the cyber ear, enabling its user to receive broadcasts over a wide frequency of wavelengths. Cost:300CR

Spinal Interface Artificial nerve bundles, implanted between Cervical Nerves C1 and C2 in the spinal cord simulate an interneural ascending and descending axon allowing the brain to send messages through this implant into a linked device. These implants are commonly used to interface with powered suits to allow the wearer to use the suit and its attached devices as if they were natural appendages. A character equipped with a spinal interface may use powered armor attachments without penalty. Characters without a spinal interface may only take advantage of the suits closed environment and armor protection.Only quality 3 available. Cost:7000CR Bio:2.5

Synaptic Bridge This implant is a small unit which emits a synthetic fluid; this fluid is absorbed into the brain material and fills the synaptic clefts between neurons. There it acts as a high efficiency conductor for neurotransmitters, greatly increasing the synaptic response time, thus increasing the recipientÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s reaction time. A synaptic bridge gives the character a +1xquality to initiative. Cost:12000xquality Bio:3/quality

Cranial Networking This implant allows functionality between the different cranial appliances implanted in the recipientÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s head, without this device the implants cannot be used together. This implant allows the character to use the bonus of all applicable cranial implants for a skill check. Without this implant the character may only use the bonus of one applicable implant for any skill check. Only quality 3 available. Cost:1500CR Bio:.8

Engineered Reflexes This procedure entails replacing the Arachnoid sheath of the Spinal cord with a mesh of highly conductive filaments. These filaments serve as secondary conductors for neural impulses traveling the length of the interneural axons , increasing the response time of the motor functions and improving message quality between dendrites by up to 50%. This implant increases the characters Dexterity by +1xquality.Only qualities 1 through 3 available. Cost:9000xquality Bio:4/quality

Neural Relay This procedure implants a volume of synthetic nerve bundles to supplement the corpus colosum , inducing greater functionality between left and right hemispheres of the brain, increasing the recipientÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s perception allowing both logical and spatial relationship to be analyzed while communicating greater use of creative centers in the prefrontal lobe. This implant gives the character a Wisdom bonus of +1xquality. Only qualities 1 through 3 available. Cost:8500xquality Bio:3/quality

Dedicated Silicate By replacing the analytical portions of brain matter with a synthetic computer processor the recipient is able to analyzed larger portions of Datum per volume. This implant gives the character an Intelligence bonus of +1xquality. Only qualities 1 through 3 available. Cost:12000xquality Bio:4/quality

Synaptic Archive This storage device when wired into the sensory and motor function portion of the brain allows the user to act out skill and feat programs loaded into the archive , giving the user a skillset they would not normally have. When a Skillsoft or Featware program is uploaded into a synaptic archive, any skill the character had in that skill is not used until the skillsoft is erased. Skillsofts levels may not be raised through experience and can only be raised through erasing the old software and uploading a higher rank version. Featware may only be used with other uploaded feats. If an uploaded feat has a prerequisite for use, the prerequisite feat must also be up loaded as a featware program. If featware or skillsofts are erased any info the character had learned before the software was installed will be remembered at its former rating. A synaptic archive may hold 3x its quality in skills and feats regardless of the skills ranks. Cost:13000xquality Bio:3/quality

Featware these programs, when uploaded into a synaptic archive, allow a character to perform the feat as if it were learned and second nature. Cost:10000CR

Skillsoft These programs, when uploaded into a synaptic archive, allow a character to perform a skill at a level equal to the programs rating. Cost:2000CRxskill rank

Cyber Prosthetics Any limb or organ that has been damaged or lost can be replaced with a cybernetic version that is equal to, or in some cases better than the original. These replacements, because of the absence of the original, do not put as much of a strain on the body as other cybernetic enhancements do. Prosthetics still have a quality rating to determine their spot DC. Cost:3000CRxquality Bio:all qualities .1

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œPLUSÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? Organs Plus organs are a family of super efficiency replacement organs designed to work together for optimal efficiency and performance. This system includes heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. These organs are built with multiple redundancies and will continue to function under intense stress and damage. Characters equipped with plus organs become immune to critical hits and only take regular damage from such hits. Only quality 5 available. Cost:80000CR Bio:2

Dermal Weave This procedure implants sheets of a ballistic weave under the skin of the user creating the effect of a sub dermal armor. Dermal weave gives the user a damage reduction of 1xquality against slashing and puncturing weapons. Cost:10000CRxquality Bio:all qualities 2

Enhanced Musculature This upgrade consists of augmentation of the users voluntary muscle system with bundles of an artificial myomer which respond to nerve impulses from the brain to contract or rest just as if it were regular muscle tissue, these artificial muscles and connective tissue are less subject to tearing and fatigue. Characters equipped with enhanced musculature gain +1xquality to their Strength. Only qualities 1 through 3 available. Cost:12000CRxquality Bio:4/quality

Dedicated Telemetry Processor This implant when, wired into the visual cortex, allows for tracking of multiple targets and their probable paths. This compiled information gives the user critical telemetry data, allowing him to avoid collision with these targets. This implant gives a +1xquality to the users defense by allowing him to avoid the path of a potentially damaging object. This bonus acts as a dexterity bonus to defense, and is lost if caught flat-footed Cost:4000CRxquality Bio:1/quality

Fluid Articulation By rebuilding the cartilage and connective tissues of the skeletal structure with self-lubricating and zero friction polymers the body is able to act with extremely fluid and agile movement. Characters with a fluid articulation rebuild gain a +1xquality bonus to their reflex save. Cost:2000CRxquality Bio:1/quality

Bone Fortification By means of this process, the users skeletal system is augmented with various interwoven fibers at stress points to add lateral strength and density to bones. Characters with bone lacing gain 5xquality hit points. Also users add their bone fortification quality to an unarmed damage. This implant increases a characters body weight by 10xquality %. Cost:9000CRxquality Bio:All qualities 2

Retinal Datafilm This implant consists of a small piece of datasheet added to the retina of the eye giving the user the same qualities as the cyber eyes option HUD. This implant is not compatible with Cyber eyes. Only quality 2 available Cost:900CR Bio: .1

Enhanced Pheromones This implant adds a regulator to the pheromone glands increasing output. These increased hormone levels are undetectable to all but the lower animal mind, having the effect of making the user more likable to people around him. This implant adds +1xquality to the users charisma. Only qualities 1 through 3 available. Cost:11000CRxquality Bio:2/quality

BiometricsBiometric upgrades are organic living implants grown from a sample of the end users tissue. This is done to insure complete compatibility. Because of the high quality of manufacture inherent in the construction of these designer organs all biometric implants are only available in quality 5. Thus biometric implants are considerably more expensive than other types of bodyware, but because of their genetic makeup they are considerably less stressful to the host organism and therefore have lower bio costs.

Thyroid Nodes This organ is implanted over the thyroid gland. Once implanted the nodes increase and regulate the thyroids production of the hormone calcitonin, which regulates the uptake of calcium into bones. This increases the users bone density and hardness. A character with Thyroid nodes has a denser skeletal structure with interlacing ribs and bony growth around vital areas. This upgrade gives a character a damage resistance of 10 to blunt trauma and falls. Thyroid nodes are not compatible with bone fortification. Cost:70000CR Bio: .2

Omnicell Factory This organ implanted close to the heart produces a blank cell , much like a stem cell , which can be configured to function as any cell it is associated with. As the users body takes damage, these omnicells are diverted through the bloodstream to the damage site, where they are imbedded in the wound and programmed for their new role ,accelerating the healing process. A character with an omnicell factory regenerates hit points at a rate of 1 per hour. Cost:85000CR Bio: .4

Dedicated Greymatter This implant entails the addition of brain material which has had its neural pathways already configured to perform a certain skill. Unlike the cybernetic implanted skillsofts, a character with a dedicated greymatter skill may add points to that skill through experience. Dedicated greymatter is treated as a naturally learned skill if the character later has a synaptic archive implanted. Cost:12000CR per skill point Bio: .3

Sensory Nerves By means of this procedure an additional mass of carrier material added to the optic or auditory nerves, heightening their performance. The character may only add to either the optic or auditory nerves with one surgery. User of this implant gain a +4 to their listen checks or spot checks depending on the surgery they select. Cost:22000CR Bio: .1

Chitin This implant adds a hard fibrous organic material under the skin of the user increasing his resistance to damage. These plates grow in an overlapping manner, permitting free movement while offering the most protection. Characters implanted with chitin gain a defense bonus of +4. Cost:90000CR Bio: .7

Heat Exchanger This implant consists of a variation of an organ which naturally occurs in some animals and predatory fish. By implanting a bed of interwoven venous and arterial vessels, the warmth carried in the arteries traveling away from the heart is transferred to the incoming veins. This process makes more efficient use of body heat, with less heat lost in the extremities. In hot climates the organ acts in reverse, transferring excess heat to be lost at the extremities before it can overload the bodyÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s natural cooling system. A character implanted with a heat exchanger can survive comfortably in temperatures ranging from 0 degrees F to 150degrees F with no adverse effects. Cost:50000CR Bio: .4

Blood Reservoir This organ consists of several fluid sacks situated around the arterial trunk. These sacks slowly fill by leeching blood from this trunk. When a wound is suffered which causes severe blood lose, these sacks rupture , adding their volume to the arterial vessels, gaining the user more time before death occurs to staunch the wound .A character implanted with a blood reservoir doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t suffer death until his HP reach -20 instead of -10. Cost:55000CR Bio: .4

Adrenal Reserve This organ , implanted over the adrenal glad, causes the excess production of and stores the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œfight or flightÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? hormone Adrenalin, Epinephrine, and Cortisol and releases them more freely into the users bloodstream. A character implanted with an adrenal regulator may increase his strength by 1d6 points and speed by 1d6x base for 6 rounds 3 times per day. This organ is not compatible with a pituitary regulator. Cost:68000CR Bio: .3

Active Melanin By means of this implant, the users skin can rapidly alter its melanin level to fight high doses of radiation, this implant also regulates the pituitary glands uptake of irradiated iodine, helping to control the damage of exposure. Characters with active melanin who are exposed to radiation , treat the exposure as if it were two levels lower than it was (using table 4.2 radiation sickness, on page 81 of the D20 future book) when determining radiation sickness. Cost:68000CR Bio: .4

Prefrontal Dendrites This implant adds a mass of dendrites , fibrous nerves which transmit brain signals, to the prefrontal cortex effecting greater connectivity in the creative and problem solving centers of the brain. A character equipped with prefrontal dendrites adds +4 to all skills based on intelligence and wisdom. Cost:72000CR Bio: .3

Digestive Symbiotes This implant entails the addition of a symbiotic organism, assembled from the users own DNA, into the digestive track. These organisms are capable of breaking down and rendering nutrients from any cellulose or organic material, including but not limited to wood, grass, bark, and other organic materials. Though the symbiotes are highly efficient the users waste products are not always completely broken down before being expelled. This can be extremely painful and so most people implanted with symbiotes only used them when absolutely necessary. A character implanted with symbiotes can extract water and nutrition from any organic material. Cost:60000CR Bio: .1

Rods/Cones Upgrade By means of this surgery the eyes of the user are upgraded with an additional mass of rods and cones quadrupling their natural volume. This gives the user the ability to see in very low light and distinguish more shades of color. Characters with Rods/Cones gain the darkvision ability. Cost:40000CR Bio: .1

CheNanTh Many groups have been experimenting with cheaper alternatives to bodyware, in order for their soldiers to keep up with the growing trend in military technology. One of these cheaper technologies is Chemical/Nanotech Therapy or CheNanTh for short. The process of Chemical /nanotech therapy is to augment the body with chemicals and nanites rather than implants. Though CheNanTh augmentation offers more power over conventional bodyware, the drawbacks are equally as bad. The bad effects come when the warrior can no longer receive his supply of chemicals for whatever reason. The depending on how long the warrior has been chemically dependent the detox effects could be permanently debilitating or even fatal. The process of a CheNanTh upgrade entails the implantation of a small disk near the users heart, the disk contains a doubly redundant computer controlled monitoring system, as well as a dispenser for the chemical compounds , and a nanite hive. The disk, called a Chemical/Nanotech Therapy Manager, has a tube that comes to the surface of the skin where a fresh supply of chemicals can be injected . The Chemical regimens the user may select from are predesigned to work together for optimal efficiency. Though the CNT manager is implanted just like a cybernetic implant, when a user selects a Regimen and receives his first injection he gains the full effects of that regimen in 1 turn. Along with the chemical compounds the CNTM will dispense the CNTM is also encoded with a basic programmed defining how the chemicals are to be dispensed. If the character changes his regimen, his CNTM must be flushed of all their remaining compounds, and its programming erased, then the new compounds are implanted and the manager encoded for the new therapy. Again the benefits of the new regimen take effect in 1 turn. A user may only have 1 chemical regimen present in his body at a time. A Character Using CheNanTh requires a higher uptake of nutrition. This extra base of materials is reconstituted by the userÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s nanite population for various tasks, as well as to fuel the users heightened metabolism. A Character using Chemical/Nanotech Therapy requires a 100% increase in their dietary intake. CheNanTh implants are not compatible with any other implants except prosthetics.

CNT Manager This is the core of the CheNanTh system. This small unit, about the size of a pack of playing cards, is implanted near the heart, and contains all the command and control hardware to operate the system. A CNT Manager may carry encoding for 1 regimen and enough compounds for 10 days. The CNT Manager is implanted like any other cybernetic appliance, and afterwards the chemicals may be installed with a hypodermic syringe or spray. Cost:30000 Bio:3.5

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œBlazeÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? Regimen This regimen is designed for athletes or professionals requiring speed and agility. Various compounds are used to accelerate the metabolism , increasing the digestive systems use of carbohydrates and amino acids, as well as introducing a synthetic adrenalin, which dilates the vascular system increasing blood flow and nutrient uptake to cells. The Regimen also features a suite of amphetamines to accelerate the transmission of brain signals down the spinal nerves. A host of nanites repair any damaged or stressed connective tissue , and form barriers around overloaded cellular walls preventing cellular decay from the higher mineral uptake. When at rest the manager releases a sedative to induce sleep. A character on Blaze regimen gains the following bonuses:Dex+6, Spd 6xbase, Con+2, Reflex save+6, Fort save+3, regenerate 1hp/hour, gain feats-Athletic, Alertness, Acrobatic,+4defense bonus, user cannot be caught flatfooted.Cost:2000CR 10 Day supply

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œRampartÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? Regimen This regimen is designed for athletes and professionals who require stamina and resilience. Various compounds are used to increase disease and toxin resistance. Other compounds increase growth hormones to promote muscle and bone density. This regimen also incorporates a suite of painkillers and sedatives to negate the effects of overexertion. Amphetamines are used to allow the user to continue operating at full efficiency for days at a stretch without sleep or rest. Nanites incorporated into the regimen repair damaged and overstressed muscles. Characters using the Rampart regimen gains the following bonuses:Con+6, Str+2, Fort save+6, Will save+3, regenerate 3hp/hour, dam reduction 10, +30hp, users can continue for their con bonus days without rest ,users can act without penalty until they reach -20, gain feat-Endurance Cost:2000CR 10 Day supply

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œSyllabusÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? Regimen This regimen is designed for scholars and technicians who require heightened learning and increased information processing abilities. Multiple chemicals include a synthetic hemoglobin which carried more oxygen to the brain , synthetic high efficiency neurotransmitters, and hormones which promote higher connectivity in the prefrontal and frontal cortex. This regimen also uses a suit of brain wave altering narcotics which synchronize thought patterns and allow the user to better focus. Nanites attach themselves to the long nerves of the spinal cord and help to better translate brain signals into fine motor function. A character on Syllabus regimen gain the following bonuses:Int+6, Wis+4, Will save+6, +5 to wis and int based skills, users gain 5 bonus skill points per level, gain feats-Focused, Attentive, Builder, Creative, Educated, Meticulous, StudiousCost:2000CR 10 Day supply

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œEpicÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? Regimen This regimen is designed for athletes and professionals who require strength and raw physical power. The core of this regimen is designed around a variant of human growth hormone, along with various steroids, and adrenalin derivatives. A suite of amphetamines and painkillers negate the effects of muscle stress and push the body to peak performance. Nanites are used to shred muscle fiber during sleep to promote muscle growth, as well as to repair damaged connective tissue and torn cellular membranes. Other compounds act to flood the body with epinephrine and cortisol to dilate the blood vessels allowing for a higher volume of blood flow to tissue. A character on Epic regimen gains the following bonuses: Str+6, Con+2, Fortitude save+6, Reflex save+2, regenerate 1hp/hour, user does +6 dam unarmed, user feels no pain and can act without penalty until they reach -10, gain feats-Frightful Presence, Athletic, Power AttackCost:2000CR 10 Day supply

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œWarlordÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? Regimen This regimen was developed for military personnel in an effort to produce a more combat effective soldier. This regimen includes many chemical compounds geared towards increasing a soldierÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s aggressive quality. Other compounds affect brain chemistry to improve hand-eye coordination, as well as various mind altering narcotics which improve perception and heighten awareness. Various painkiller suits negate the effects of pain and fatigue and allow the soldier to continue to advance under the worst wounds. Nanites are employed to repair minor wounds and mend cracked bones and to staunch blood flow to prevent shock. Characters using Warlord regimen gain the following bonuses: Str+2, Dex+2, Con+1, Init+4, Will save+3, Fortitude save+3, Reflex save+3, BAB +4, Defense+3, Dam reduction 5, regenerate 1hp/hour, gain feats-Focused, Heroic Surge, Combat ReflexesCost:4500CR 10 Day supply

Thanks, friend, but I already have it. Nice of you to offer though, and when I get some spare time, I might jump aboard this bandwagon and see if I can figure any of it out properly, and then maybe try and help contribute new ideas.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Heaven covers us: Earth upbears us: the Imperial way is one and only one way. But in this last degenerate age, the order of Lord and Vassal was destroyed until Supreme Heaven by Our hands put to death the traitors. Now, from this time forward, both parties shedding their heart's blood, the Lord will not tolerate double methods of government, and the Vassal will avoid duplicity in his service of the sovereign! On him who breaks this oath, Heaven will send a curse and earth a plague, demons will slay them, and men will kill them. This is as manifest as the sun and moon."

-Emperor Kotoku's Vow, First of the Taika Reform Edicts, 19th day (645 A.D.).---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History

The history of the Holy Sun Empire and the Nishu system goes back before the rise of the WHC and its dominance of the Sol system. The people of the Sun Empire are descended from the broken-earth peoples of the Japanese Islands. Early in the 21st century, Japan was an economic powerhouse, second only to the United States in technology. In the early part of the 21st century, the Japanese people suffered a series of crippling natural disasters which irrevocable changed their countries way of life and have been recognized as key factors to the present state of the Nishu system. The first of these disasters came in the form of an Earth Quake. On June 25th 2009, the ground began to shake violently, as the inhabitants awaited the end of the quake, it became obvious that it was not subsiding but actually getting stronger. The quake lasted 12 minutes and was measured at a magnitude approaching 9.2. The devastation was widespread and complete. Major urban centers from Akita to Fukuoka were all but leveled. Just as the first death tolls were trickling in from the overworked search teams, the next wave of disaster struck. The many analysisÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ by top experts in the field, report that the Tsunami was produced by the far-reaching after shocks from the Quake. As the inhabitants of the southern coastal areas of Japan were beginning their cleanup, a 30 foot high tidal wave surged inland, claiming the lives of tens of thousands more. All told, some 250,000 lost their lives in the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢07 Disaster. In terms of economic lose; the Disaster took Japan from one of the strongest economies on the globe to the state of a third world country. The years that followed saw the Japanese people beginning to rebuild their devastated island. By 2014 many of the cities which were utterly destroyed in 07 had begun to resemble the pristine skyline of the Tokyo and Osaka of yesteryear, if only from a distance. Japans shattered economy wasnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t as easily fixed. The destruction of the nationÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s infrastructure required the leveraging of many of the countries assets in order to rebuild, and by 2016 most of Japans major industries had either gone bankrupt or sold out to foreign interests, Japan was left destitute. The welfare lines sometimes stretched for blocks as the countries worst depression since the Second World War, left large portions of the countries 130 million citizen homeless and jobless. Inflation ran rampant and waves of violence surged through the cities as the once-urbanite population clamored for government intervention. The following decade marks a low point in Japanese history. Japanese industry, which had taken nearly a century of industrialization to build, could clearly not be rebuilt without the help of natural resources the county did not possess. In 2024, as the world witnessed the formation of the western hemisphere compact, the stage was set for Japan to make a comeback. Always a staunch ally of the US, Japan sided with the WHC in the short war against the UN powers. After the declaration was signed which ended the Third World War, Japan pleaded to the US for the resources necessary to rebuild their failing infrastructure. In a controversial move, the areas around Formosa, Hong Kong, and Manchuria were assigned to be administered by the Japanese government. Japan wasted no time in exploiting these areas for their natural resources. Along with this the US began construction of several PF reactor plants within the borders of Japan. During this time a growing movement within Japan, known as the Nippon Uyoku Minzokushugi (literally ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œJapanese Right-Wing NationalistÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?), began to amass power among those most affected by the depression. The Nationalist asserted that JapanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s current state was the direct result of dependence on western culture and the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œgrowing American HegemonyÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? begun after WWII. In the interim years between the 2024 and 2029 the growing Nationalist movement became increasingly violent in their rebellion of US rule. As a result the Japanese overseers asked the now dominant US for military aid in putting down this rising tide of violence. The US peacekeeping forces, already spread thin around the globe, responded brutally to the UyokuÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s actions, which in turn swelled the ranks of the Nationalist movement by those who were caught in the middle. The anti-American violence reached a crescendo in 2028, when the then Japanese Emperor Matsuhito, was officially removed and the imperial throne of Japan dissolved. The Imperial Throne had been the lynchpin of the Nationalist Doctrine, and this lone act solidified the stranglehold of the Nationalist Party on the minds of the people. Riots broke out all over the island. In Tokyo, rioters stormed the US provincial advisors office and after fiercely beating him, ritually beheaded him as camera crews recorded the act from the safety of a nearby office building. In Osaka, dissidents broke into the newly completed PF reactor facility, and in an act later described as ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œreleasing the gods wrath to rid Japan of the GaijinÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? by Nishu Historians, the rioters started a fire which disrupted the plants plasma containment field. This disaster was the final death-kneel for the country of Japan. By 2032 as the first waves of the Exodus were embarking to their destined planets, nearly 1 million people of Japanese birth were banished. The majority of these ended up in the binary star system the inhabitants called the Nishu system (Meaning ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œtwo provincesÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?), though the original name of the system recorded by the survey team is a matter relegated to academia. The Early Years of the Nishu colony were hard times, punctuated by strife, civil war, poverty, and hunger. In the first years of its existence, the Nationalist Party asserted itself as the dominant party of the colony, within 10 years the party had executed a reordering of the colony, in order to establish some semblance of a rule of Law. This Bakufu, or ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œtent governmentÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, effectively reestablished the Japanese people, now the Nishu people, in a feudal system. The ideas of a return to a Traditional Japanese Culture, were still fresh on the minds of the people, and thousands of citizens styled themselves Shogun, Diamyo, Samurai and even Emperor. The colony quickly Balkanized and within the space of two years, the 1 million citizen of the Nishu colony degenerated into clusters of warring fiefdoms, where those who were strongest gave protection to those willing to work. The next twenty years, now known as the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œNishu Warring States PeriodÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?, saw the gross expenditure of the colonies few resources to construct large fortresses where clans waged war with swords and bows over the few pieces of machinery and technology brought with the colonist in the flight from Sol. By 2054, the many clans had coalesced into 4 provinces of some 200,000 citizens, each attempting to impose its will on the other three. The largest and most powerful of the clans was the Karu Clan in the Higashi Province, ruled by the extremely charismatic Shogun Horigashi Matsumana. Matsumana was a man of intense personal magnitude, and a skilled tactician and administrator. Under his rule the Karu clan had completed many projects for his people including an aqueduct for crop irrigation which had more than tripled the output of rice crops in his region. Also while the other clan leaders sought only dominance, even at the price of the death of the entire colony, Matsumana had been secretly gathering any skilled technician and expert in any science field he could in order to save the little knowledge and technology which could be spared from,what he saw as, the cusp of the dark age approaching the soon to be extinct colony, if action wasnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t taken to stem the tide. Matsumana set an envoy to meet with the Akida Kurisawa, Shogun of the Minami Province in early 2055. When the two met Kurisawa was instantly taken by MatsumanaÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s vision for a unified Nishu, and immediately formed an alliance. Within 4 years the last of the 4 provinces were under the control of the Karu clan and Matsumana was unequivocally named Emperor of the first Tenno Dynasty of the new Holy Sun Empire, Kurisawa was named Shogun of the militaries and the ex-leaders were named Diamyo of their provinces with the powers of noble lords. The first act of the newly crowned Emperor was to reinstitute the Taika Reform Edicts, which had founded the Japanese imperial system of government in 645AD Japan. By this time the feudal system was firmly in place in Nishu . By 2066 the colony had made a complete turnaround, the Pax Imperial reigned supreme, and the cache of competent scientists and technicians, along with the help of the feudal labor pool, had created a self-sufficient colony. Immigration to the colony was, if not massive, at least steady. By way of the few merchant ships operating in sapient space and the Colonial Trade Commission, Nishu had begun trading with several other colonies and even had started shipping and receiving materials with Earth. In late 2066 rumors were finally confirmed that the Whitcross colony had officially declared its independence from the Terran Compact. After months of discussion with his supreme council, Matsumana sent official notice to the TC colonial commission that Nishu were among those who would no longer be bound by the laws of the Terran Compact. When word reached Nishu of the coming war, the entire world went into industrial overdrive, nearly over night creating a weapons industry to arms the many soldiers of the Imperial Sun Army. By 2073, nearly 3 million soldiers lay in wait as the landing boats of the TC 3rd Expeditionary Force dropped to the planets surface. Coordinated surgical strikes at the onset of the battle captured many of the TC landing boats, preventing a retreat. The next several months the armies of the Emperor used hit and run skirmishes with the TC forces, drawing them deeper into the unknown lands of the planet Kyoyatsumi orbiting the star Junzen. Even as the TC fought tooth and nail for every inch of ground, Imperial Kamikazes strapped with explosives would hurl themselves at their enemies in the name of the Emperor. In June of 2074 the last of the TC forces were dusting off, for the safety of their ships, many of which had loitered too long in orbit and had to be abandoned to fuel the remaining ships long journey back to Sol. These ships, recovered by the Imperial Forces, became the core of the new Imperial Navy. The autonomy of the Nishu system had been established once and for all.

The Holy Sun Empire Today

Today the Nishu system is once again a technological powerhouse. In the more than 2 centuries since the Succession War, the people and society of Nishu have prospered. The strong group oriented mindset of its citizen, coupled with the untapped resources of an entire world, has created a technical base on Nishu, undreamed of on other planets. The Nishu system is the undisputed leader in the field of robotics and AI, and their industries are routinely top performers in ICASE IT listings. This new super technical base has allowed the Holy Sun Empire to expand its control of the entire Nishu star system, with an astronomical yearly industrial growth. The citizens of the Empire enjoy lifetime employment, as employers see their employees as members of their family group, and treat them as such. The Japanese ideals of Bushido and loyalty to ones lord, pervades every level of the Empires corporations and citizens, and cooperation between the government and the Corporations of Nishu is complete. It is common practice, that before fighting a skirmish with another nation, the businesses of Nishu use economic leverage to bankrupt the opposing nation as the first wave of the Imperial assault.

Organization

The Holy Sun Empire is a Royal Monarchy ruled by a Heriditary Emperor. The Emperor rules for life and is the supreme authority within the borders of the Empire, though over the past years, along with the rise of NishuÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s industrial and technical might, the Emperor has ruled more as a CEO with his council of Diamyos acting as his Board of Directors. This isnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t unusual if one understands that the Nishu people see business as a continuation of war by other means. The Empire is ruled at the provincial and municipal level by noble lords called a Diamyo. These lords pay fealty to the Emperor through a Shogun or ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œSupreme GeneralÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?.Nishu culture is a ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œverticalÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? society, in that every citizen has a place which is either higher or lower than every other citizen. At the bottom are the unemployed, next come the menial labors, street vendors, and the like. The next in line are the farmers, fishermen, and semi-skilled factory workers. Next are the specialist, scientist, bureaucrats, etc. Next are the warrior class, consisting of soldiers, and the samurai who make up the officer caste. At the top are the nobility.

Industry

Nishu industries produce every manner of consumer good, though most of the nationÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s arms are purchased from the AVL through the tenants of the New Shambala Accord. The nationÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s chief export is agricultural products and electronics, specifically robotics and microprocessors. Nishu is unparalleled in the advancement of AI and robotics technology. Many immigrants flock to Nishu for the elective surgeries routinely performed in its clinics for biometric enhancement, and cybernetic implants are becoming the rage among the social elite of the Empire. Nishu is the home of such mega-corporations as Hirogashi-Shinmen Unlimited, United Thinking Machines, and DXL microwares, just to name a few.

Military Assets

The Military Forces of the Holy Sun Empire include some 12 million soldiers organized into 115 divisions. Fleet assets include 4 independent fleet commands, as well as 2 STL system defense force fleets. The EmpireÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s advances in robotics have circulated rumors that the Empire has at their disposal another 5 million robotic soldiers, though these reports are unconfirmed.

Diplomatic Relations

Relations between the Nishu system and the other systems of Sapient Space have been cordial since the TC officially recognized NishuÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s independence. The Empire regularly trades with other governments, and many foreign corporations have offices in the Nishu system, eager to be near the hub of technological development.

News Wire, INN 14.08.2321 21:16ST (Location: White Dwarf 0552-041[white dwarf star, solar coordinates 0.443265, 20.993515, -1.405231]> WD 0552-041 B[planetoid/.03AU) More Artifacts found on planetoid B orbiting around the White Dwarf 0552-041. Though no substantial items have been discovered the particles found in the system are concurrent with traces of civilization such as evidence of heavy bombardment of the bodies by neutron radiation recognizable as a fusion reactor. Researchers in the 041 system say substantial finds could take years to uncover but they will carry on , hoping to gain some glimpse into an ancient alien civilization.

News Wire, INN 16.08.2321 08:53ST (Location: GJ 570[multiple star system, solar coordinates -12.853, -12.572, -6.752]>GJ 570 A[K5V star]>Benghal Bay[Terresterial/.78AU] ) Fighting continues in the Edgeworld system GJ570 on the planet Benghel Bay. This newest round of conflict was started 21 standard days ago when Bay Genn separatists attacked an urban center with canisters of nerve gas, killing some 7000 and critically injuring hundreds more. The Bay Genn movement consists of the mountain dwelling peoples descended from the original population of the Benghel Bay colony, displaced by offworld corporations to make way for the current residents. It is believed by Randel Quichek, the corporate director of Benghel Bay, that the terrorists are being funded by some offworld governments, though he refused to comment on which governments may be involved.

News Wire, INN 22.08.2321 10:22ST (Location: Tau Ceti[G8V star, solar coordinates 10.334022, 5.058, -2.890632]> Vujesti Kho [Terresterial/.21AU] ) Recent research into a smaller more economical processor created in an artificial gravity architecture, by the Mega-Corporation Gravinetics may yield some 4th quarter turnarounds for the largely foundering company. ICASE reports Gravinetics stock up by 3points at the close of trading today in light of this news.

News Wire, INN 26.08.2321 11:17ST (Location: Procyon[multiple star system, solar coordinates -4.767961, 10.306803, 1.038493]>Procyon A[F5V star]) Tensions grow in the uninhabited Procyon system as AVL and TC forces amass. The system, which has been in dispute for a number of years, has been a hotbed of border clashes over the course of the last 15 months. Sources in the Procyon system report massive buildups along that border region, which , if ignited, could spill over into neighboring systems. Most commerce has been avoiding this system since the tensions began.

News Wire, INN 12.09.2321 18:02ST (Location: BernardÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Star[M4.0 V star, solar coordinates -0.057, -5.943, 0.488]> Ture [Terresterial/.03AU] ) A ceasefire was declared today between the Blue Socialist, and the Federal Democrats on the planet Ture, where 3 years of civil war have turned the once beautiful planet into a ceaseless killing ground. Death tolls for the past 12 months have reached a crescendo, at just over 12 million. Humanitarian groups have pleaded with the ruling Blue Party Socialists to stop the ongoing genocide of the Federalists civilians, threatening economic sanctions. General Controller Harold Johnston, chief executive officer of the Blue Party could not be reached for comment.

Weapons Weapons development over the past three centuries is starkly similar to the advancement of sapient space. While new technology dominates the battlefield, all that was old is made new again. The individual soldier of 2320 is remarkably similar in his role to his counterpart of old earth. While his weapons have new names and he is enhanced by many new technologies to increase his individual survivability, he still sleeps in the mud and bleeds on the battlefield. Weapons development is a highly lucrative field in 2320, generating hundreds of trillions of credits annually, and though trillions are poured into small arms research and development, the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œancientÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? technology of chemical-combustion powered projectile weapons is still the pinnacle of man-kinds small arms technology, albeit built with the science and materials of the age. Over the last three centuries the search for a man-portable zero-flight-time weapon has occupied millions of man-hours of research and design. Alas it has been without success. The naval energy weapons used aboard space-craft require an amount of power still unavailable in a man-portable package. Though the laser pistol and UV rifle are still out of reach, the projectile weapon of today has been developed into a masterful device, whose effectiveness has been proven on battlefields from ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œCastle-HeightsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? to ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œNew CoronadoÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬?. Thousands of arms arsenals throughout sapient space produce literally trillions of weapons per year. The major corporations and nations of sapient space represent some 80% of this sum, with the other 20% is produced by the many small companies and specialty markets. The AVL alone produces some 15% of all small arms produced in sapient space through their Kroneheim Waffen Fabrik Nationale, the arms division of their national industry. What follows are a sample of some of the most popular military and sporting civilian arms produced in sapient space by the top manufacturers. The listed price is the fair market value for a firearm in new, unused condition, in an unrestricted nation. These prices should be adjusted by market factors such as illegality and supply lines.

Kroneheim Waffen Fabrik Nationale KWFN produces a myriad of different weapon systems, as well as many knockoffs and clones of other popular weapon systems (some under license and some without trademark approval). KWFN also produces all the small arms for the AVL government and military.

P18 Pistol The P18 was adopted in 2318 as the new standard pistol of the AVL, issued to NCOs, officers, and other combatants and non-combatants whose job required a weapon for close quarters battle. The P18 fires a 10mm caseless projectile from an electric powered internal bolt. Unlike other weapons, which utilize the recoil of the fired round to work a slide, the P18 has no such slide or other moving external pieces other than the trigger, safety and a small cocking lever activated by the thumb. Also firing caseless rounds the weaponÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s action is completely encased which keeps debris from fouling the firing mechanism. Many criminals appreciate these features, as it allows them to fire the weapon from a pocket or through a coat without worry of the guns becoming jammed in a fold of clothing. The electric bolt is powered by a small Bismouth-Antimony battery located under the grip, which has a half-life of approximately 12 years.Range:100ft Weight:.8lbs Magazine:18box Action:Semi Cost:150CR

The G94 rifle has been in military service with the AVL since 2294, when it replaced the G56 as the standard service weapon. The weapon fires the 7.5Kurz caseless round and is a bull-pup configuration rifle (meaning the action and magazine are located behind the grip). This allows for a longer barrel length which aids in accuracy while reducing the overall length of the weapon to that of a carbine. The weapon is constructed almost entirely from polymers. Only the barrel and bolt are metallic. During the production process the metal used to produce the barrels are impregnated with ceramic at extremely high temperatures, giving them excellent heat-dissipation qualities and friction reduction. The electric bolt functions the same as in the P18 pistol, eliminating the need to tap barrel gasses to work the action, thus drastically reducing the felt recoil of the weapon, even in automatic fire. The weapon uses the same Bismouth-Antimony battery cell as the P18 pistol. Other version of the rifle currently being produced (G94R) add a small processor with networking capability, and a visual aiming device, capable of being used in conjunction with HUDs and other such devices.Range:1200ft Weight:8lbs Magazine:30box Action:S,B,FA Cost:500CR

MP64 Submachinegun Relying on the same action a the G94 rifle, the MP64 is very similar to its larger counterpart. Though the weapon bears a more traditional configuration with the magazine in front of the trigger assembly, the shortened action required to fire the pistol caliber cartridge keeps the overall length of the weapon to a manageable size. The MP64KM version of the weapon is fitted with a slightly shorter barrel and a folding stock and is used as a boarding weapon by the AVL Kriegs Marines. Other variants include a version fitted with a gas reducer and a low noise bolt closing device for use with a suppressor. The weapon is constructed almost entirely from polymers, like the G94, and fires the same 10mm caseless round as the P18.Range:200ft Weight:6lbs Magazine:30box Action:S,B,FA Cost:400CR

G85M Designated Marksman Rifle The G85 was the predecessor to the G94 rifle, firing the full sized 7.5Hesse round which is also used in the PMG12 general purpose machinegun. It was determined that the smaller Kurz round was more effective in the intermediate ranges of the modern battle field and thus the G85 was relegated to an auxiliary weapon when the G94 was officially adopted for service. The G85 still serves, though with a match precision barrel and advanced optics and the ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œMÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? designation, as the issue sniper weapon of the AVL. The weapon bears a traditional layout with the magazine forward of the trigger and grip. The electric bolt assembly serves to reduce the recoil of the weapon for faster follow up shots.Range:4800ft Weight:7lbs Magazine:20box Action:Semi Cost:1200CR

PMG12 General Purpose Machinegun The PMG12 machinegun was officially adopted in its current for in 2312 as the standard infantry support weapon for all branches of the AVL military. Firing the large 7.5Hesse round from a hermetically sealed 100 round cassette, the weapon is capable of firing over 1200 rounds per minute. The excellent design of the weapon allows the magazine to be fed from either side, as the electronic bolt detects which magazine has rounds remaining, allowing the weapon to be fired continuously as the dry cassette is replaced while the other cassette is fired. The PMG12 is a solidly built light-weight weapon which will undoubtedly be employed for years to come.Range:3000ft Weight:13lbs Magazine:100cassette Action:FA Cost:1500CR

NP71 ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œPin GunÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? The NP71 is a weapon evolved from the rare necessity of combat in zero-G and/or hard vacuum. Though not originally invented by the AVL, most every major small arms manufacturer in sapient space offers at least one model of weapon for use in vacuum. The Pin Gun is a pneumatic powered weapon firing a short yet heavy metal rod at high velocities, in order to rupture the suit of an enemy, exposing him to vacuum. The NP71 much resembles the KWFN made MP64 submachinegun, though with an elongated receiver to accept the wide magazines which hold the weapons ammunition and compressed air supply. The weapon utilizes a special muzzle-break which propels as much gas rearward of the weapon as forward, thereby negating the propulsion effect the weapon would have on the user in zero-G otherwise. This allows the shooter to fire the weapon and remain in a neutral position, even in the full-auto mode of fire. Range:60ft(in atmosphere) Weight:6lbs Magazine:40box Action:S,B,FA Cost:300CR

A fabulous wodge of information to read. I can't congratulate you enough. A few comments for you to mull over:

The biggest stumbling block in AI is intentionality. How do you know the AI actually wants to do something itself or has been programmed to copy that behaviour. Most AI arguments come down to this.

When naming Cyberware and drugs, be careful not to choose names used by other games. Google can help in spotting these problems. One or two seem familiar from Cyberpunk / Shadowrun / SLA Industries.

A good way of pinning down your technology is to create a document of physical laws that you might give to a 15 year old physics student. Explain how everything works and where all the tech fits in. Another method is to playtest the tech you've made for 10 or so years. One of the big issues in writing a Sci Fi RPG is the combination of seemingly harmless technologies to create something that destroys the fabric of the system. As soon as this happens, it's very difficult to recreate the suspension of dibelief.

Might be worth noting if reproduction is harmed by augmenting the human body. This might be a deciding factor for many characters. Repro is one of the first things to go when someone gets a big illness. Also, how are augmented humans treated by the populace as a whole?

Finally, don't get hung up on the idea of Hard Sci Fi. In the Sci Fi community, you'll find that the people who only read 'hard' read near-future stories that aren't very imaginative. Some of the hard Sci Fi greats don't acknowledge Quantum Computing, for example. Your game strikes a line towards Asimov, Gibson and Stephenson, which is great and I'd stay that way. True Hard Sci Fi should only be played by University Physicists during tea break!

I agree, Captain Penguin but that opinion is extremely unfashionable. I think the biggest issue with Hard Science fiction is that it dates very quickly. People also expect more from Hard Sci Fi and are quicker to pick holes in the work. They expect an academic-like treatise of the subject matter, rather than interesting and involved technology and science (as given here).

I've managed to read a bit more of the system and it seems that the weapon technology has lagged a little behind all the other technology areas. Have you not considered rail guns, energy rifles or AI rocket technology? Weapons always attract people to a game system and making them as varied as possible helps cement the future tone of the game.